The panel that makes official vaccine policy for the US has voted to make the new cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil part of the routine vaccine schedule for all children. It is recommended that girls receive the vaccine at age 11 or 12, along with other routine vaccines given at this age. The vaccine may be given as early as 9 years of age, according to the panel recommendations. Gardasil is a vaccine for human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes genital warts in men and women and is transmitted sexually. It has been known for years that most cases of cervical cancer are caused by this virus, making it one of the few clear cases of cancer caused by a viral infection. This vaccine is highly effective in preventing infection with HPV and therefore in preventing most cases of cervical cancer, which kills over 4,000 women a year. It must be given before infection occurs, and therefore is most effective if given before sexual activity begins.
There is some controversy over the vaccine, particularly a concern perhaps that the vaccine will make sexual activity more likely or common among teenagers. There is no evidence that this is the case. I am personally not in favor of treatments that seem to sanction sexual activity among teenagers either. Instead, I believe in abstinence until marriage and fidelity within marriage. I also do not usually believe in the message of “abstinence is best but if you do….” I think this is usually a mixed message. However, at this time I do not believe that giving the vaccine necessarily communicates approval by either parent or physician. HPV infection is a chronic, long-term rather benign disease that can cause cancer in the long-term, years later. Teenagers and young adults often make foolish, impulsive decisions, mistakes, and this vaccine can prevent some long-term consequences of those mistakes. Even if a teenager maintains abstinence until marriage, his or her spouse may have become infected in the past. At this point, I am leaning towards believing that the vaccine does not sanction teen sexual behavior, and may prevent serious disease in the future. I am further reassured that neither the Family Research Council nor Focus on the Family are against the vaccine, just against requiring parents to give the vaccine to their children.
Regardless of the personal decision whether to give it to one’s children, we have clearly entered a new and exciting age of developing vaccines to prevent cancer (the hepatitis B vaccine also prevents a cancer sometimes caused by the hepatitis B virus). It will be very interesting to see what the future holds.