Eugene Pediatrics is pleased to be one of the first clinics in the region to give our patients a vaccine with improved protection against the potentially deadly Human Papilloma Virus. It’s called GARDASIL 9.
Parents, here are some important facts about the Gardasil 9 vaccine and HPV infection:
- HPV virus is the sole cause of cervical cancer, the No.1 cancer killer of women in their 20s and 30s in this country. The virus is extremely contagious and spreads by any skin-to-skin contact.
- Gardasil 9 offers greater protection than the Gardasil 4 vaccine, which has been available in recent years. Instead of covering the four most deadly serotypes of the HPV virus, the improved shot covers the nine most lethal serotypes of HPV virus.
- Gardasil vaccines have been used for over a decade and are proven to be safe and effective. New cases of cervical cancer and HPV infection have dropped significantly in immunized women within a short time of introducing the vaccine.
- It’s recommended that both boys and girls be vaccinated, as boys can suffer from genital warts and penile cancer, and can transmit the virus to their partners.
- Girls who are 9- to 26-years-old and boys 9- to 15-years should have three doses of Gardasil 9.
- Parents often decline this potentially life-saving shot because they don’t want to think about their child ever becoming sexually active. It’s NOT about sex. It’s about future cancer prevention.
The biggest question in my mind is: What to do with kids who have already finished their Gardasil 4 series? The nation’s experts on vaccines (the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the CDC) will meet next week to make a final recommendation. Stay tuned for more information.