The debate over the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine represents a combination of two of the most controversial topics in American healthcare: mandatory vaccinations and teenage sexuality. The argument has been made widely public, in part due to the state government’s attempts to make the vaccine mandatory before school admission. The arguments against the vaccine can be broken down into either ethical or just the general risks/complications the vaccine poses. Despite the wide spread support for the HPV vaccine, these vaccinations should not be required for prepubescent women because the teenage girls should have a choice when they are more mature to form their own opinions and weigh the risks. One of the major concerns about making the
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As previously stated, all we have is a hypothetical theory with no evidence that clearly says it will eventually help in the prevention of cervical cancer. As a result, physicians are pushing the vaccine onto the patients and their parents, badgering and urging them into something they don’t feel one-hundred percent about. “Alarmingly, the Big Pharma-influenced FDA approved both Gardasil and Cervarix without requiring either Merck or GlaxeSmithKline to prove their claims of cervical cancer prevention,” (Kohls 6). The HPV vaccine only covers certain strains of the virus, which there is close to one-hundred different strains of this virus. This particular vaccine has not been around long enough to truly test its effectiveness and prevention. With so many strains, it is not a true deterrent of this …show more content…
Given the vaccine isn’t necessarily required to attend school, many skip it entirely. According to Harvard health department editor, Dr. Claire McCarthy, “Vaccination is a medical treatment, and at first glance it seems odd to force parents to make their children undergo a medical treatment. But vaccination is different than most medical treatments, because it affects others. If your child gets sick with a vaccine-preventable disease, they can spread it to other people,” (McCarthy 1). It’s not about one and one’s child; it is about everyone around you-not just at school, but anywhere and everywhere, for the rest one’s life. This also isn’t just about high school students that could be exposed to HPV by having sex with unimmunized classmates; it’s about preventing cancer in the long run in a child’s life. Many parents feel the benefits outweigh the risks. A Minnesota mom, Lesley Doehr, planned to have her eleven-year-old daughter vaccinated with the vaccine. After reading up on it and hearing the recommendations from her pediatrician, she believed the benefits far outweighed the risks. For example, along with the prevention of cancer of the cervix, it also protects against genital warts that are contracted via sexual
As previously stated, all we have is a hypothetical theory with no evidence that clearly says it will eventually help in the prevention of cervical cancer. As a result, physicians are pushing the vaccine onto the patients and their parents, badgering and urging them into something they don’t feel one-hundred percent about. “Alarmingly, the Big Pharma-influenced FDA approved both Gardasil and Cervarix without requiring either Merck or GlaxeSmithKline to prove their claims of cervical cancer prevention,” (Kohls 6). The HPV vaccine only covers certain strains of the virus, which there is close to one-hundred different strains of this virus. This particular vaccine has not been around long enough to truly test its effectiveness and prevention. With so many strains, it is not a true deterrent of this …show more content…
Given the vaccine isn’t necessarily required to attend school, many skip it entirely. According to Harvard health department editor, Dr. Claire McCarthy, “Vaccination is a medical treatment, and at first glance it seems odd to force parents to make their children undergo a medical treatment. But vaccination is different than most medical treatments, because it affects others. If your child gets sick with a vaccine-preventable disease, they can spread it to other people,” (McCarthy 1). It’s not about one and one’s child; it is about everyone around you-not just at school, but anywhere and everywhere, for the rest one’s life. This also isn’t just about high school students that could be exposed to HPV by having sex with unimmunized classmates; it’s about preventing cancer in the long run in a child’s life. Many parents feel the benefits outweigh the risks. A Minnesota mom, Lesley Doehr, planned to have her eleven-year-old daughter vaccinated with the vaccine. After reading up on it and hearing the recommendations from her pediatrician, she believed the benefits far outweighed the risks. For example, along with the prevention of cancer of the cervix, it also protects against genital warts that are contracted via sexual