Anyone know if you can have HPV vaccine in Year 10/11 or higher ?

[mrsobriain]

My DD's school has sent letter about HPV vaccine and that this year it is being changed from Cevarix to Gardisil. Given that efficacy has not been proven for longer than 6 years (at the moment, could be longer as time goes on), I would prefer for her to have it later on. Does anyone know if you can have it done at your GP when your child is slightly older or do you have to then go private ? I am going to ring GP but was wondering if anyone has any experience. Thanks.

IIRC it depends on your local PCT rules an funding. Your DD will be scheduled to have the HPV vaccine as part of the Year 8 cohort but many GP surgeries will be happy to give the vaccine later even though the official catch up programme has now ended (I think).

Yes it can be given later. But it needs to b given before she is sexually active, can you be sure she won't be before she gets the jab?

I am going through the same dilemma, injections due tomorrow !!! in panic as don't know what to do. My feeling is to delay as well, also have issue with whole consent process ie. have not been given enough time to make informed consent and don't believe my daughter at 12 is old enough to evaluate all info. with discernment. Have been advised to look at HPA and NHS websites. NHS info. quite scarce on detail. FOund FDA/CDC good site, but is American. Spoke to school Nurses, some surgeries will offer outside vaccination programme although more going through schools. If we feel the right thing is to delay, private injections are £80 ish x 3. Waiting for surgery to ring me back today. I feel waiting a few years is a better option for us, in light of suggestions that Gardasil has been fast-tracked and one web site tracking serious side-effects. Look up 'truth about Gardasil'. Was told by school nurse, risk of side-effects according to conference she went to was 1 : million, but this is not documented from what I can see. Like you I am concerned about longevitiy and have even seen 2 years quoted. I feel my daughter is unlikely to become sexually active in the next few years, cervical cancer is rare and smoking is the biggest risk factor. Maker of vaccine quoted to have said that this vaccine doesn't protect against cervical cancer but does reduce the number of positive Pap tests, which is a plus. So whilst I am getting confusing messages from literature and my daughter is not at risk I am inclined to wait. I may consider an unauthorised abscence tomorrow as if she consents she will get it against my lack of consent. She feels she will be influenced by peer pressure and professional pressure, which most 12 year olds will be. Hope this helps you. Let me know how you get on.

You have a lot of concerns supermum. I'll not post on these, I'd just rather make a general point. IME parents drastically underestimate what their DDs get up to particularly wrt emerging sexuality. I know many people who fall into this boat, but I'll just write about my neighbour who was offered the vaccine when her DD was 15. Mum decided her daughter didn't need it because she was sure she wasn't sexually active, but she would definately have it before she became so. Fast-forward three years, said girl is at uni and mum now says DD admitted to a summer 'fling' at 15. So, not vaccined, no added protection against cervical cancer.