Hpv vaccine, yes or no?

[BlueSodaPop]

Please dont scream at me!
Dd has been offered hpv vaccine and im unsure. I have health anxiety and deep distrust of doctors due to personal experiences, however I obviously want the best for my dd.
I've read some stories of children having bad side effects, of course getting cancer is awful but is a no brainer to get this?
My family are very anti vax so I can't get an unbiased opinion on this from them.
Shes had all the other vaccinations except flu and covid.

I think it would be negligent to not let her have it and it was to not let her have the flu ones too

No brainer for me.

Yes. Obviously.

Yes, cervical cal cancer in younger women has dropped to near zero.

You would be mad not to. Please vaccinate your daughter.

Just consider how you would feel if as an adult she gets cervical cancer and finds out that all the horrible invasive treatment and possibility of dying from it is because you said no to her having a vaccine when she was young. Thst would guide my decision.

Any medical decision needs to involve a risk/benefit analysis. I work in a hospital and have made the decision that vaccine benefits by far outweigh the risk but I do try to avoid automatically dismissing those who believe otherwise, optimistically hoping that it's because maybe they have access to more and better information than I do and that maybe they are better informed than I am rather than assuming they are just stupid. I am unfortunately often disappointed in this hope, but that's another issue.

However in the interests of being even handed I might say that yes, vaccination carries a small - very, very small - risk of side effects. There is the tiniest percentage of people who respond badly to these things. However there is a far higher percentage risk of getting cervical cancer and suffering the hideous consequences in comparison to the risks associated with vaccination.

Therefore to me the decision is obvious.

I wish I had had it. It would have saved me from getting HPV, then the worry of being diagnosed with CIN-2 in my 20s, having to have several uncomfortable, painful and awkward colposcopies in hospital and having LLETZ to remove precancerous cells from my cervix.

I would have had the vaccine if I was just a few years younger.

And I am one of the lucky ones who managed to have it caught early and have the treatment to prevent it from developing into cervical cancer. None of what I had to deal with is anything near what women who are dealing with cancer have to deal with. Get your daughter vaccinated.

100% yes. There is excellent data showing zero/almost zero cervical cancer cases in the vaccinated population. It also protects against head & neck cancers caused by the hpv.

I’ll be honest, I’ve uhmmed and ahhed over this one too. I did a lot of reading and what helped was the fact that it has been in use for years , there are no associated long term risks , the most serious side effect is anaphylaxis (unlikely in a child with no allergies or intolerances) AND the incidence of cervical cancer has decreased considerably since it’s been in use. The benefit massively outweighed the basically inexistent risks.I also discussed it with DD and explained it all to her and she also chose to have it. Absolutely no issues, other than her arm being a bit sore for a couple of hours.

Similar experience here, although with CIN3.

By the third time I was due to have precancerous cells removed, I opted for a hysterectomy in my mid 30's instead to remove the entire cervix.

Vaccination is the way to go. My teenage boys have had the vaccine administered at school.

A distrust of individual doctors (which I assume is an experience with a single Gp) shouldn’t extend to the whole of the global scientific community.
Yes of course she should have it.
A friend is going through this now. I wouldn’t wish her experience on anyone.

I was one of the first cohorts offered this vaccine and my silly teenage self was terrified of injections so I harped on about long term effects (without any actually research by myself) and refused it.

I regret that decision, and I had invasive procedures in my twenties due to not having the vaccine. I am all for being informed and making informed decisions but this is a hugely advantageous vaccine for young girls.

Thanks for sharing your stories.
Im going to definitely get her vaccinated.

As with other posters, yes, definitely a no-brainer for me. My dc was too old when it came in but absolutely would’ve had it done, as I do with all other vaccines. You need to think about what is best for your daughter, and try and move your health anxiety and distrust out of the way. As an adult, if she was unfortunate enough to get cancer, how would she feel knowing that it likely could’ve been avoided? And how would you feel? Yes, it’s your decision as her parent, however she isn’t you, nor an extension of you, and she has the right, as any other person does, of you making the right decision for her, not you.

@BlueSodaPop sorry, you wrote your last reply as I was posting mine. I’m glad you’ve made the best decision.

Please get it! I actually paid privately and got it as a 25 year old as the doctors said it was still useful - zero side effects at ALL.

No side effects with a hpv vaccine here.so make your choixe i am not a anti vacciner or sceptic tho.

Vaccines save lives. Look at the science.

At her age I’d say it’s up to her, but yes my DD will be having it. It’s literally life saving

Being cynical with age and from seeing the data relating to absences after HPV vaccination days for many years, as long as she doesn't have Maths homework or a test scheduled for 1-2 days after the vaccine day, she is incredibly unlikely to experience any minor side effects and if there is a fun event planned for the Year group, none of them will feel in the slightest bit unwell.

I can't link any research but I did hear on the radio not long ago that there had been a huge decline in cervical cancer in young women who have had the vaccine.
Mine have had it, they didn't have the covid vaccine because I was sceptical about limited research and side effects but I do think in balance that the HPV vaccine is definitely worth it.

The science says a very clear Yes.

100% yes
I was sad / furious I missed it...

its a incredible step forward in womens health i am SO happy my daughter will be able to have it

There's no side effects beyond a sore upper arm for a few hours. Vs cervical cancer? Total no brainer.

The HPV vaccine is one of the best public health stories of recent times!