HPV vaccine, don't know what to do!

[Busymummy50]

Before a few days ago, only knew hpv vaccine was for girls. 13 year old brought home a consent letter last Friday. Vaccination takes place 29th at school.

Initially I thought it was a good idea. I had a smear which came back with hpv found and then had a biopsy years ago. Luckily I was ok and my immune system fought it off. So I knew all about it.

Then I looked into possible side effects and asked other parents (as boys have only been offer this since 2018, so not long). Friends sons have already had it and my son's friends at school are going to have it. But the more I've researched, the more serious side effects I'm finding. I know these have not been proven but I cannot help to worry.

I have consented but having second thoughts. My partner on the other hand is happy for the vaccine to go ahead despite my findings but is also happy is our son doesn't have the vaccine as most of the time our bodies would fight it off.

I just don't know what to do! Has anyone's child had it and had side effects or chosen not to have it and why? Does anyone have more information on these serious side effects?

www.vigiaccess.org/ can see all the reported side effects listed here and the quantity. Not sure if legitimate though.

As someone who has a chronic high-risk HPV infection and who has had to have part of my cervix removed I say please consent to your dc to have the vaccine.

I’d say the vaccine is far preferable to an HPV head and neck cancer

My friend died of a neck cancer caused by HPV

It's only been recently been offered to boys on the NHS as routine, but plenty of parents got our sons vaccinated privately and it's common practice in many other nations for a while now. My DS1 was a couple years old for the NHS cut off so got the jabs at Boots so when he was 14 - he had no issues or side effects. Neither has his sister who had her first jab last year (we're unsure how or when they're doing the second).

Yes, there are cancers boys and men can get related to HPV which is why it was available to men who have sex with men on the NHS for years. It was previously thought that just girls having it would be enough to protect both them and their male partners - it was basically a cost cutting exercise with girls prioritized as the connection with cervical cancer was more well known - and while it does cause a drop, it hasn't gone as well as when both sexes are routinely vaccinated.

Part of the issue with HPV, as is with MMR, is that there are conditions which appear more often at the same age group that the vaccine is given. There are a lot of conditions that can start or are easier to detect during puberty. It's difficult to tease out which might be connected to the vaccine and what is just the population's general risk (though many of the conditions linked it's hard to see how it would cause that), but the risks of vaccine damage - while there - are far far smaller than the risks of the virus and the conditions connected to it, as much as many places on the internet can be convincing otherwise.

@ginislife

I'm with *@FinallyFluid*. Mine manifested itself in my tongue. Tumour with HPV markers. Consultant said too many bj's 😀😀. So someone male gave it to me. I hope they were good 😂😂. I also still have issues around eating meat 2 years on, along with chocolate (claggy in my mouth), wine is not enjoyable like it was, and I can't tolerate chillis so curry's are gone. Please get both your girls and boys vaccinated

I'm sorry you were unwell but love your sense of humour.

Mouth and penile cancer caused by hpv. Having seen a post cancer op penis with skin graft from leg I would definitely let my son have it. Anyway, look at the side effects from paracetamol

I think the risk is tiny but there does to seem to be a minute risk of these syndromes. There were a few MNetters affected a few years ago.

I haven’t decided if DD will have it yet. Probably yes as the risk seems low

@Busymummy50

TJ17 I first looked on NHS website. It mentions a list if syndromes etc and that there is no link between the HPV vaccine and these. So that prompted me to look up those syndromes and HPV vaccine. Then I see that Japan has suspended this vaccine since 2014 and lots going on in Ireland too with parents of many girls saying they fell seriously ill after the vaccine. Then I see info about a boy called colton berret in America and similar other cases. I was also told of a group called AVHID in the uk and again, similar stories of kids having the vaccine and develiping chronic fatigue syndrome and more. Although none have which been proven to be caused by HPV, it just makes me scared and worried. I had the HPV virus years ago shown on a smear test and had a biopsy, luckily all was ok and I was clear of HPV the following smear. It was a scary time. So I understand that it is good to have the vaccine. There are some vaccines you hear not much of and some like this one and MMR that you do. Our children have been vaccinated all up to date so far so I am not against vaccines.

But doesn't this answer the question 🤔 why would the NHS lie. They have to list the syndromes because of other websites you list that have no bearing whatsoever telling people false news.

lots going on in Ireland too with parents of many girls saying they fell seriously ill after the vaccine.

I'm in Ireland. This isn't the case - there is not 'lots going on' or 'many girls' seriously ill.

Like any vaccine, there are those who report side effects but this is a small number.

There's no cause for concern in Ireland; it's rolled out via the schools & the take-up is high. It's certainly not considered a risk, in general discourse.

Please sign the consent form.
I nearly lost a cousin to cervical cancer.

@EarringsandLipstick

lots going on in Ireland too with parents of many girls saying they fell seriously ill after the vaccine.

I'm in Ireland. This isn't the case - there is not 'lots going on' or 'many girls' seriously ill.

Like any vaccine, there are those who report side effects but this is a small number.

There's no cause for concern in Ireland; it's rolled out via the schools & the take-up is high. It's certainly not considered a risk, in general discourse.

It's just I saw this www.regret.ie

My DC have all had it, with no issues for any of them.

I paid for DS as they were too old for NHS programme, and there's no catch up

The HPV vaccine won’t protect you from all types of cervical cancer as it only protects you from the high risk virus strains - that is why the NHS still offer smear tests or HPV testing.

Surely at 13 your DS is Fraser competent, OP?

So he can give consent, not matter what you’ve found on Google.

What about Japan and Denmark? As I said, all my kids have been vaccinated up to date. As with the MMR, we did lots of thinking and reading before consenting and same with this vaccine only because there is lots online about it so I'm not as confident and certainly very frightened and worried. I know the risks are small but it still plays on the mind. The fact it doenst cover all strains means people can still get it. As with men, there are no routine tests for penile, anal or throat cancer so there is the vaccine risk AND still risk of these cancers, albeit less as many girls have been vaccinated. As a parent, I'm just trying to gather info from everywhere and from parents and get my head round it. Thank you all for your replies, it really helps.

@FamilyOfAliens

Surely at 13 your DS is Fraser competent, OP?

So he can give consent, not matter what you’ve found on Google.

Yes I have spoken to him an driven him all the info he needs, everything. He knows the risks too. He doesn't want to have it, purely because he is so scared of needles, he's been having a few nightmares since. But he said if it was like a flu spray up the nose as primary kids have then he would have it. I don't want to force him to have it especially when I am not feeling confident enough about the vaccine. I had HPV years ago picked up from a smear and a biopsy and it was horrible so I wouldn't want this to happen to my children or anyone. My HPV cleared by the next smear and most cases do within a year or two.

OP, how are you managing to interpret scientific papers on Google? I have a PhD in a STEM subject but I’d still struggle to sort the good science from the bad on Google.

And what does your DS think about it, as he’s the one - not you - who will be at increased risk of cancer if you choose not to allow him to have the vaccine?

Yes I have spoken to him an driven him all the info he needs, everything.

Please tell me you haven’t given him all the articles you’ve found from your Google search?

sciencebasedmedicine.org/death-gardasil-not-so-fast/

Have a read of this. And stop reading anti-vaxxing sites

If you think having a fear of needles is a valid reason for refusing a potentially life-saving vaccination, will he be telling his friends at school that’s the reason?

I’m guessing not.

As with the MMR, we did lots of thinking and reading before consenting

You don’t sound like you have much of a grasp of science or medical research so I’d suggest you back away from the anti-vaxxers.

There’s no risk of your son developing the kinds of things you’re reading about on these sites as they didn’t happen because of the vaccine.

To be honest, I’m frankly horrified you’ve given a 13 year old boy the shit you’re reading online and using that as a reason for him not to be vaccinated. This is bad bad parenting and you should be ashamed

Both my children (boy and girl) have had both doses of the HPV vaccine. I have no concerns and I am glad they were able to have it, especially for girls since cervical smear testing happens later than it did for me.

With respect, OP, it doesn't sound like your research is based on peer reviewed medical studies. Anyone on the internet can claim a connection between an illness/side effect and a vaccination. They have absolutely nothing to back up their claims, yet people believe what they say anyway. Compare that to medical studies, which are rigorous in their methods and approach, and which are then peer reviewed to make sure that the evidence is sound. I would always trust that more than some random person who has made a website and makes claims that only serve to increase paranoia and fear mongering over perfectly safe vaccinations. Please put your trust in the people that have actually put the work in to show that the vaccines are safe. Do not trust someone who has no medical evidence to back up their claims that vaccinations cause xyz.

I don't know if this is helpful but I remember a new drug that came out had 'influenza' listed as a side effect early on. It's obviously was not a side effect as flu is a viral illness. It's just that some people got flu after the medication started so it had to be listed.
As a PP said, illnesses can arise in the age group and the vaccine is not causative

What about Japan and Denmark?
Japan is notorious for banning vaccine with no reason. When they moved dtp to 2 years of age because of SIDs babies carried on dying of SIDs and then started dying of whooping cough.
The changed MMR to single vaccines and the rates of autism carried on rising

Denmark

" This large cohort study found no evidence supporting associations between exposure to qHPV vaccine and autoimmune, neurological, and venous thromboembolic adverse events. Although associations for three autoimmune events were initially observed, on further assessment these were weak and not temporally related to vaccine exposure. Furthermore, the findings need to be interpreted considering the multiple outcomes assessed."

from this study