1:00 Dose of Vaccinology: Why Your Daughter Needs Gardisil Even Though it's for an STI and she's 11


Ah, this question.  It's a close relative of "Why does my baby need a hepatitis B shot?".  It turns out that one had quite a valid answer that made us all less uncomfortable (namely, Hep B is frequently transmitted by infected mothers to their babies prenatally or perinatally, and God knows how toddlers are with body fluids).  But Gardisil...that one makes us think about the inevitable reality that someday our children will have sex.  Finish shuddering so we can move one.  Good?  Okay.  Here are the things about Gardisil:

1.) IT.IS.A.CANCER.VACCINE.  Yes, it prevents infection by certain strains of Human Papilloma Virus, but somehow it has been lost in translation that we care about these strains because they cause cervical cancer.  Fun fact: they also cause penile cancers and head/neck cancers, so this isn't just a "people with daughters" problem or a "heterosexuals only" problem.  Girls in this age group were the populations the clinical trials were done on and cervical cancer is the most prominent complication, that's all.  But I digress from my point: this is a cancer vaccine.  As a scientist, do you know how many time I've been asked at parties, "hey, when are you guys going to cure cancer?"  Well, folks, here you go.  You're welcome.

2.) Your children will one day have sex.  Get over it.  Have the guts to keep them from getting infected, no matter how uncomfortable it is for you to think about.

3.) Michele Bachmann recited an anecdote from a random lady, and to many people this now this means Gardisil causes mental deficiencies and it's best not to risk their children's health.  More on (mis)information and parental decision making at 2:00, but here's the thing: It is best not to risk you children's health.  You know what is a health threat?  Cancer.  Eye on the ball, guys.

4.) I am a mom of sons.  If my opinions and actions are meaningful to anyone on the topic of infectious disease, I plan to have them vaccinated against HPV with Gardisil as soon as they are of age.