Shots for Girls 9-26 - Methuen,MA

My 12 year old will be getting it. Now we just have to wait for the supply of it at her pediatricians office to keep up with the demand for it. They have been out of it for a month now.

The other women have given lots of good information so I'm just going to tell you what my gynocologist said. According to him and some other doctors I've talked to, almost everybody who has had sex, is a carrier of HPV. There are many, many strains of it, and not everybody will develope a problem/symptoms from it. I am over the "test" age, but I'm still going to get it from my doctor. Right now men and older age groups are being researched.

My sister developed cervical cancer from it, and I developed problems from a different strain. Even though I already have one strain, it is believed that it will help prevent any future problems and it will protect me against the other strains.

Hi, it is definitaly something to look into HPV has 40 diffrent virus's the shot only protects against 4 of them the 4 they protect against are the ones that put you in a higher risk of cancer. my mom is an RN in a pediatric office and she is surprised w/ how many people have this virus at such a young age. I am 25 and if i was not married I would get the shot. If you are afraid of your daughter thinking it will protect so its ok to have sex then just say HPV and its a virus dont mention sex and maybe she will just assume its like the other shots she has to have (flu ect..)

Hi, my obgyn suggested I get it for my 11yr old, but her dr. said she could wait another year, to see if insurance will pay for it. She said as long as they get it before they start having sex, that is fine J.

I was wondering the same thing. I'd love to see your responses... ____@____.com

Gardasil is the immunization you are referring to. It is a series of 3 shots. If you are interested, you should definitely speak with your daughter's physician. Also, you can check out this website for additional information:

www.gardasil.com

If your insurance company covers immunizations, they will likely cover this as well. Most doctor offices do not carry this yet - you can check with hers. You may have to pay upfront for the immunization & send in for reimbursement through your insurance company. You may want to check with them directly to see if it is covered.

My daughter is only 3 1/2, but she will be getting this shot when she is old enough. I only wish thay had had this shot sooner. I had to get cancerous cells removed a long time ago. I had to have the procedure done twice due to missing some. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, let alone a child to have to go through it. There are pros and cons to every shot you get your child. Why would this one be any different? Everyone has their opinion on it. Do what your heart tells you. This is a very good shot. Anything that can help my child in the long run is something I would look into and most likely do.
I wish you the best of luck in this. Every new shot has to start somewhere. This is no different. Ther eis always that chance...and if you could have prevented it....know what I mean?
Good luck to you and your daughter.

I've only done a little bit of research on this so far. Haven't had time to do more than a quick google search, but I intend to before my daughter's next check-up. From what I have read so far, the possible side effects, although rare, are quite extreme. Seizures was one I recall reading. Also there are many strains of HPV, and this vaccine only offers limited protection against a couple of them. Again, I really haven't done the research yet to make a decision, but I strongly suggest that parents always research new vaccines before exposing your children to them.

more info:
Drug company ends push to make vaccine mandatory
TUESDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) — Facing adverse reaction from parents, doctors and advocacy groups, Merck and Co. said Tuesday that it would stop lobbying state governments for laws mandating that pre-teen girls be vaccinated against cervical cancer. The Wall Street Journal reports that Merck, which makes the vaccine Gardasil to protect against the human papillomavirus (HPV), had initially been successful in convincing such state leaders as Texas governor Rick Perry to order the vaccinations. But Gardasil is expensive, the Journal reports — $360 for a three-dose regimen — and HPV, believed to cause most of the cases of cervical cancer in the United States, is spread through sexual contact. Many parent and advocacy groups had objected to the vaccine, because it might have forced them into talking about subjects they weren't ready to discuss with their daughters. And because the vaccine's approval is new, some physicians expressed concern about possible side effects. The Journal quotes Merck's executive director of medical affairs, Richard Haupt, as saying the company had decided that the adverse reaction was a distraction from the original goal of immunizing as many women as possible. Merck has "decided at this point not to lobby for school laws any further," the newspaper quotes Haupt as saying.

-- HealthDay News

It's actually a shot to prevent HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. The disease can lead to cancer.

I have read about it (my daughter is only 4 though.) The pharmaceutical companies are pushing it very heavily and have gotten many doctors on board but I don't think there are enough studies to know if this is really safe--nevermind is it necessary? The attitude is kids will be kids and do stupid things so at least we can protect them?

Cancer is a scary word and the fear tactics behind the marketing campaign for this vaccine disturb me as well. I am not willing to make my daughter a guinea pig, but if she were a sexually active adolescent and wanted to get this shot I would not say no.

My sister-in-law actually contracted cervical cancer from HPV passed on to her when her husband cheated on her. They caught it on her annual pap, removed the cells and she is doing fine. I want to know if the vaccine is something she would have wanted had she known and had it been available.

You might as well ask your doctor about it, but if you do make sure you ask about the possible side effects and how long they have been studying this vaccine. I used to think any vaccine was a good idea, but now we know that is not always true. The rotavirus vaccine they were pushing for newborns a year ago turned out to have some serious problems. I wouldn't wish the surgery on any child--but we're not talking about 7 and 8 year olds contracting HPV. I think for sure that my daughter should be old enough to discuss the pros and cons of this vaccine and the reasons behind it, and have a say in the use of this shot, rather than have this decided for her. It's too, too personal.

I don't think that giving them the shot means "free pass" or anything like that, and I am not opposed to adolescents being given or using contraceptives, I just think that information is key. Somehow, somewhere along the line it became okay to use the general populace as a testing ground for pharmaceutical advances, and I for one am not keen on having my own daughter be one of those test subjects. I will watch, listen, and learn. Ask your doctor about it. And be aware that the only reason you are asking is because the pharmaceutical companies placed an ad during a time when they knew moms between the ages of 25-50 would be likely to see it.

Actually, my pediatrician more than "strongly recommended" that my daughter get that shot at her next annual exam (later this year). As a matter of fact, he handed me a stack of literature on vaccinations for my daughter's next annual appointment. I'm going to look into it further, as the year goes on, then decide on whether to have my daughter get the shot or not.

my thought on the subject >>> i wish we could thing our lil girls will never grow up and have sex ! but the reality is that they will .. and hpv can be passed even if you r using a condom .. i am for this vaccinne .. cnacer in women is al a all time high in my eyes ... just because of hpv .. some people can carry it and have no symptoms .. my girl frined has it and had it for yrs and never knew till she got pregant and showed on her pap .. my daughter is only 4 months old but when she is older and i have seen that this vaccine has worked and if it is still around i am sure i will have her get it .. parents can not protect there children form everything but if there is somthing that will benifit my childs future i will use it .. "It only takes once"

I seen that one of the people that responded said that the Human Papilloma Virus is a sexually transmitted disease but it is not!! You should go and speak to your daughter's physician about it. Not everyone is really clear what the vaccination is for. But I left you more accurate info in your private message place. You should really read that. Bye.

I agree with the shot. Giving the shot to your daughter is not saying hey go have sex it's saying as you grow up you have to make decisions but be safe and protect yourself. Not too long ago we didn't know about this HPV. I wish that we had the shot. I know a lot of girls including myself that have been diagnosed with this and now that it can be prevented I think it would be importent. I think you should talk to your daughter about it and what it is for and why you think she should get it. I know some people my not agree about this. They don't want to encourage sexual activity, but it is goning to happen someday, letting her know the truth I think is always the best. Then she will know she can talk to you about it as well. She will talk about it, with friends, you want her to know the truth not what some friend told her. I know if it is still around when my daughters are old enough they will be getting it. We can't protect them against everything but every little bit helps. Being educated is the best protection.