If you are the parent of an adolescent child, you’ve probably heard about the HPV vaccine and may have some questions about getting your child vaccinated.
At Essentia Health, pediatricians strongly recommend parents get their child vaccinated against the HPV virus. The reasons are numerous.
HPV Vaccine
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted infection among adults and teenagers in the United States. Spread through skin-to-skin contact, HPV is so common that almost everyone will be infected at some point in their lives if they don’t get vaccinated.
In many cases, HPV can be treated and will go away on its own. However, some types of the virus never go away and can cause cervical and other cancers, such as throat and neck cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), currently more than 42 million Americans are infected with HPV types that can cause disease.
To help keep your child safe from HPV-related cancer later in life, Essentia pediatricians recommend children receive the HPV vaccine beginning at age 9. This is because preteens produce more antibodies after HPV vaccination than older adolescents. In other words, this is the age in which the body produces the best defense against the virus.
Here are the answers to five frequently asked questions to help guide parents of adolescents through this vaccination process:
Are HPV vaccines safe?
All three HPV vaccinations have been tested in hundreds of thousands of people without any serious side effects. And the more we vaccinate, the more we’ll see a significant decrease in HPV transmission and HPV-related cancers.
Are HPV vaccines effective?
The HPV vaccine works incredibly well. For anyone vaccinated before being exposed to the virus, the vaccine is 97% effective in preventing cervical cancer and cell changes that could lead to cancer. The vaccine used now protects against nine of the highest-risk HPV strains.
Should both boys and girls get vaccinated?
When the FDA first approved the HPV vaccine in 2006, it was initially just recommended for girls and women to protect against cervical cancer. Three years later, it was also approved for boys and men. This was based off evidence that males are also susceptible to HPV-related cancers. In fact, cancers caused by HPV impact men and women almost equally.
Does age impact the vaccination process?
Like most vaccines, the HPV vaccine is administered through an injection. If administered to a child younger than 15, he or she will only need two injections of the vaccine. These will be separated by six to 12 months. If older than 15, the child will need three injections over the course of six months. This is because the immune system isn’t quite as robust at that age.
Will receiving the HPV vaccine change my child’s behavior?
Since the HPV vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted infection, some parents worry this vaccination could embolden their children to become sexually active. Multiple studies show that this is not the case. The simple fact is that giving this vaccine to adolescents at this age has nothing to do with sex. This age is just when our bodies are able to mount the greatest immune response.
“HPV infections have the potential to become a very serious problem,” said Essentia Health pediatrician Dr. Dhilhan Marasinghe in perfectly summarizing the case for HPV vaccination. “Luckily, the HPV vaccine is a safe, well-studied and reliable method of preventing HPV-related cancer. I recommend this vaccine to all my patients over 9 years old. If you have any concerns about this vaccine, please contact your primary care provider.”
To schedule an appointment with an Essentia Health Pediatrician, visit their website or call 844-633-1068.
Words by Kelsey Mix
