Would you let your 9-year old daughter get the HPV shot?

In light of the headlines about Alexis Wolf and a looming lawsuit against Merck, moms are starting to wonder about the so-called wonderful vaccine.

When I initially heard about this new vaccine doctors were administering to girls as young as nine to prevent the infection by HPV- human papilloma virus- which if contracted through sexual contact can lead to cervical cancer- I immediately sided with the school of parents who unequivocally would give their child any kind of medicine if it meant preventing the dreaded big C.

I’ve always been a big proponent of vaccines in general and couldn’t imagine keeping my daughter from being the privileged recipient of a medical advance that could impact her longevity and time on this planet. But of course in light of so many controversies that have recently come to bear in regards to certain vaccines (especially the allegations that the high incidence of autism is directly linked to the mercury in certain vaccines) as a parent I feel it’s my responsibility to be my daughter’s health advocate and make sure I've fully researched anything I permit to enter my daughter’s bloodstream.

And the recent report of Alexis Wolf and her lawsuit against Merck, certainly had me shaken to the core and vacillating as to whether or not the risks of this vaccine outweigh its potential benefits. According to Alexis’ mother Tracy Wolf,  after her daughter received  a series of Gardasil vaccine injections in 2007 and 2008 she transformed from being a well adjusted average , honor-roll student to spending the last three years suffering from uncontrollable vomiting and seizures which has left her brain damaged.

Unfortunately Alexis Wolf and the tragedy that has befallen her is not an isolated incident in regards to the possible negative consequences of this vaccine. According to the CDC  there have been some reports of women getting blood clots after receiving Gardasil. However the CDC does note that most of these people had a risk of getting blood clots, such as taking oral contraceptives (the birth control pill), smoking, obesity, and other risk factors. And as of May 31, 2010, there have been 53 U.S. reports of death among females who have received Gardasil.  Although once again the CDC notes that 29 of these reports have been confirmed and 24 remain unconfirmed due to no identifiable patient information in the report such as a name and contact information to confirm the report. And in the 29 reports confirmed, there was no unusual pattern or clustering to the deaths that would suggest that they were caused by the vaccine.

Still as a parent I’m getting a little concerned by some of these reports and especially the tragic story of Alexis Wolf. So if you ask me right now - that my daughter is nine years old, the age when they suggest it can be given, I’d have to say I will not be giving it to her.  Why, you ask? Maybe I’m being a little naïve about my daughter and her future sexual activity, but at this very moment in time, at the tender age of nine I’m not concerned that she will be engaging in any high risk sexual behavior. And since sexual activity is the only way to contract HPV, right now I’m going to hold off until I see a stronger track record for the vaccine- and its potential adverselong and short term side effects.

People may say- due to my decision- I must be in the school of thought that is anti-vaccine. However, I’ve actually always been of the school of thought that strongly believed vaccines are not harmful, they do more good than bad and the benefit outweighs the risk. The problem with this one is that it’s not preventing a disease my child would get (unless she engages in unprotected sex with an infected partner) and it has a few potential side effects like; blood clots and seizures that scare me.

Of course the problem is that Gardasil prevents HPV infections, but does not treat existing infection. Therefore to be effective it must be given before HPV infection occurs and The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends vaccination before adolescence and potential sexual activity. Perhaps when she’s ready to have sex we might revisit this- or even three years from now- when we have more information to go on about the ultimate benefits and risks of this relatively new vaccine.