|
|
|
HPV Vaccine
November 2, 2007
|
It’s a fairly new vaccine that’s in high demand in Southwest Florida. With the advent
of the H-P-V vaccine or Gardasil, it now only takes a few seconds to help prevent
cervical cancer.
Kim Connolly is a Medical Assistant with Lee Physician Group. She says her office
has given more than 400 shots so far this year.
Dr. Dirk Peterson is a Gynocologist with Lee Physician group. He too has noticed
the popularity rise in the vaccine. “There is a growing demand for the vaccine and
it’s appropriate to give women age 13 to 26 the vaccine to protect them against
the four most common strains of the virus that causes cervical cancer.”
The human-papilloma virus is sexually transmitted and physicians say it’s spreading
rapidly.
Connolly says, “80 percent of the sexual population has been exposed to HPV and
of course men don’t know they have it
because there’s no signs or symptoms for them
and the only signs for women is if they have an abnormal pap smear.”
While pap-smears are very effective screening tests for HPV, the vaccine focuses
more on virus prevention.
“The advent of the vaccine takes us to the next step in the development of technologies
to prevent cancer of the cervix,” says Dr. Peterson.
“Gardasil is better for girls prior to sexual exposure that way they’ll get the
most benefit from it,” says Connolly.
Physicians say that’s one reason why many parents are considering bringing in their
daughters for the vaccine.
“When she delivered her baby did she quibble with the doctor as to whether or not
she was going to get the hepatitis vaccine; hepatitis B is virus that’s sexually
transmitted. She said no give the baby the three vaccines. Think of the HPV vaccine
as
the same way,” says Dr. Peterson.
The HPV vaccine is usually a series of three shots given over a six month period.
Physicians say the side effects are usually minimal and include things like redness
and soreness around the injection site.
Research is ongoing in the development of an HPV vaccine for women over age 26 and
for men
|
|
|
|
