H.P.V - Decided not to immunise 12yo - Am I alone in this decision ?

[Tillyboo]

The school nurse letter sat on my desk for a few weeks before a niggling feeling compelled me to research Gardasil.

I have been told that as long as the girl is 100% healthy with no underlying health issues or allergies, the occurances of side affects are few and less serious. But, I have read reports and papers, watched videos of young girls who have been seriously physically affected by the immunisation. Gardasil is relatively new on the market and the US and Denmark do not hold it in high regard. I believe Japan have removed it from the market too ? Am I being selfish to deny my daughter this injection ?

suburban 12 was 5 years before I became sexually active ffs

12 was 5 years before I became sexually active ffs

Exactly!

Your DD will be given the vaccine before she is sexually active. At the same age you were when you weren't sexually active.

The longer you wait, the more chance there is she will be sexually active. Even if you don't know / believe she is having sex, it doesn't mean she isn't.

I was sexually active at 14. At 31 I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. HPV related. I'm now dying of this cancer, it's horrible and painful, the treatment was just as bad. I'll be Leaving my DD of 11 without a mum. I wish I could have had the injection. Google isn't proper research!!!!!

Thankful, thank you so much for posting. . I am so moved that you took the time to do this. My DD is 14 and to be honest I wasn't sure but she wanted the vaccine. She's smart and amazing.

I guess I was just lucky not to have encountered it SuburbanRhonda. I heard rumours when I was in school about kids having sex in year 7 but I thought they were just making it up, and since I haven't had much to do with children of that age until I started teaching I guess that is why. Given the number of shocked parents I have encountered I would suggest my view is more common than you think.

No dd 13 won't be having it either. Dd will not consent and I don't believe I could/should override her choice. We have spoken at length of the pros/cons and have asked that she lets me know if she changes her mind so that I can source her the immunisation.FWIW dd1 didn't consent either after doing her own research.I think if they are old enough to make a choice then the choice is their's regardless as to my wishes even though the form sent home mentions nothing about the young person's consent.

Just so long as research is not a synonym for reading scary stories on the Internet.

Where did they do their research, insanity?

thankful

Their choice not to have it, just as much as it their choice to have it. Are we saying it only works one way? Provide them with the info, let them decide

I doubt you are alone in this decision but I hope you are in a tiny minority. I only wish it had existed when I was young enough to have had it. I hope your DD realises what all her friends are being given and gets the chance to override your ill-informed decision before she is sexually active and loses the opportunity. Please say you have explained it to her. Otherwise, yes you are being massively selfish to dent her this.

Thankful I am so sorry.
Please vaccinate everyone, they are designed to prevent disease!

Thankful

Both my DDs have had the jab. I really worried about it, read around it, asked on here, asked other parents and then discussed it with them, giving them the choice. 12 seems so young but it's not. Some of their friends are now sexually active at 14. Nice girls from nice families, they don't look old for their ages, aren't hanging round parks drinking cider. It can be anyone.

Suburban dd1 was older than 13 (I think 16) and was to be immunised at GP's as it was the first year for the immunisation in school and she was too old for the year being immunised at that time. GP initially gave dd printed information and at a follow up appointment gave her more links to look at herself at home when she still said no. I still feel that if the dd's say no then that is their choice regardless as to whether I would make a different choice for them.

We have an effective vaccine against a virus known to cause cancer. With adverse effects being at

There are several pregnant 14yr olds in the secondary school I work in.

My daughter had to wait until the catch-up programme as she was older than 12 when vaccinations started round here. I was frantic, to be honest. She was, and is, bright and ambitious and savvy, and I didn't think she'd become sexually active very young, but you can't guarantee anything.

I remembered what some - actually, quite a lot - of the girls in my year at secondary school got up to in the 60s, and you can't say social norms have exactly got more puritan since then.

Just to add I am very pro vaccine and both dd's had every immunisation available when it was my decision. MMR in spite of ds1 and dd2's autism and in spite of allergy induced anaphylaxis (both ds and dd2) However at 13 and older then I have to respect their right to choose however I feel about it.

What does your daughter think. It should be her choice- it's her risk of cancer.

Long time off for us as my LG is only two (well nearly) but we definitely won't be letting her have it.

She will thank me when she's older :)

I'm genuinely interested why so many of you have decided against the HPV vaccine for your DDs?

Because they have done "research" on the Internet. Which is obviously much more reliable than anything a mere doctor can tell you.

I haven't decided anything,my dd's won't/wouldn't consent and so I don't, and neither do the health professionals, have any choice other than to accept their choice. FWIW dd1 had two consultations with GP who provided information and research and she still said no, dd2 will also see GP and be provided with same but if she still says no then there will be no immunisation. It isn't like it was when they were children and my wishes prevailed the ultimate decision is theirs now even if I don't agree.

Wimo Why can't your daughter decide whether she has it? It's her health you could be harming.

I wish I hadn't used the term 'Am I being selfish'. My decision is NOT ill informed as some have posted .. I have taken a lot of time researching about HPV and whilst there are cases whereby women are sadly dealing with CC, there are a lot of young girls whose lives have been severely affected, living with life changing after affects. And don't tell me they are all coincidental. Can you honestly say ALL the reposrts/ blogs/ videos etc of young girls dealing with after affects of the HPV are making it up ? No ! Very real concerns have been raised about the link between Gardasil and premature ovarian failure (POF ie, early menopause/ ovarian dysfunction rendering young women infertile). There is also a very big question mark raised by the well regarded American College of Pediatricians (January 2016) about the pre-clinical trials ie: Pre-license safety trials for Gardasil® used a placebo that contained polysorbate 80 as well as aluminum adjuvant.2,7 . As far as I am aware a placebo should contain saline solution. Therefore, if such ingredients could cause ovarian dysfunction, an increase in amenorrhea probably would not have been detected in the placebo controlled trials ! My dd is terrified of injections so her decision would still be a 'No' whether she agreed with the immunisation or not. My dd is very sensible but expecting a child of 12 to understand both side of the argument and make an informed decision is a huge ask don't you think ? Educating safe sex and earlier and regular smear tests MUST be encouraged for any young girl. Since this post I have found out that a GP mum and dad to a daughter due to have her HPV in Y8 have denied it on safety grounds.