Opion Editorial:HPV Vaccine

Don Meyers Kimberly Gochnour
Daily Herald Public Health Educator
Editorial Editor 466 N. 400 E. #302
801-344-2544 Provo, Ut 84606
dmeyers@heraldextra.com Kimberly_gochnour7@hotmail.com

Opinion Editorial: HPV Vaccine

The health of the population hangs in the balance of the HPV vaccine. The HPV vaccine must be considered for mandatory immunization of all girls and women age 9 and up. The HPV vaccine prevents women from getting the Human Papillomavirus which causes 70% of all cervical cancer.
Many people may take the alternative view that the HPV vaccine does not need to become mandatory. Some concerns that parents have is the efficacy of a new vaccine. . Miranda Hitti reported that in a poll where parents were asked “whether they would support a state law that requires girls to receive the HPV vaccine before entering ninth grade”, 30% were neutral and 26% strongly disagreed. Some parents argue there isn’t enough clinical research and clinical trials done, however this is an invalid argument. The FDA has proven this vaccine “safe and effective” and the CDC is promoting its use and pushing to make it a mandatory vaccine.
The Pan-American Health Organization reports 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed annually. Creating mandatory vaccination would prevent over 350,000 cases of cervical cancer annually.
The vaccination must be given by age 9 to catch girls before they become
sexually active and are at risk of acquiring HPV which can then lead to cervical cancer.
This is not a matter of “if” the girls become sexually active but “when” they
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become sexually active. In 2005, 34% of students were sexually active by the time they reached high school according to the Child Trends Databank. And these girls must be protected against HPV before they do become sexually active.
So as public health advocates and parents concerned for the well-being of their daughters, this is a call to action for lawmakers to step up and support a bill requiring girls 9 and up to receive the HPV vaccine. Lawmakers this call to action is a plea to protect women against the debilitating disease of cervical cancer. As constituents it is imperative that this bill is lobbied for, supported and presented to Congress, and eventually signed into law to support the needs and wants of the people. If something is proven to work, prevent cancer, and save lives such as the HPV vaccine, then action must be taken by lawmakers to create mandatory immunization of girls and women age 9 and up.

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