Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) of the reproductive tract with global incidence. It belongs to the papillomavirus family that commonly infects the mucous membranes or keratinocytes of the skin. It has been linked to asymptomatic lesions, genital warts and cancers of the cervix, head and neck, genitalia and other regions. Almost all cervical cancers around the world have also been related to HPV. In the present article, Osawuza-Peters (2013, p. 5500) reviews the case for a wider vaccination program in the US aimed at eradicating oral and oropharyngeal cancer caused by HPV.
HPV has the highest prevalence among STIs in the US with an estimated incidence of 7% among adults and 24% among females of the age group 14-59 years. Disparities in occurrence of the disease are caused by gender, socioeconomic background, race and ethnicity. After the FDA approved HPV vaccines several states implemented legislation to control and prevent disease incidence through measures such as creating public awareness, screening of cervical cancer, mandating vaccination for school level children and providing funds. The author contends that even though these measures are effective individually, a broader policy framework involving vaccination programs is required to mitigate the HPV problem. To bolster his argument he points out deficiencies of the current measures, such as the absence of a universal and evidence-based screening test for oral HPV and oropharyngeal cancer.
Vaccination against HPV-16, the commonest form of the infection that occurs in oral mucosa, can be a highly effective measure if administered to all children of middle school age. Since this virus strain is also most likely related to cervical and or...
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...HPV incidence, for that should have provided a clearer scenario. The author also does not discuss why the vaccine itself is so expensive, which is one of the main factors that has so far prevented a more widespread use of it. I feel the author should have discussed a few alternatives, such as insurance cover for available vaccines, or whether states can provide it free of cost if it is made mandatory. Any decision on this issue is also complicated by reports of side effects, a fact which the author touches upon.
On the whole, I feel the article is well argued and informative in its approach. It tries to present a balanced view of all aspects while trying to argue for its cause – a mandatory HPV vaccination program. It makes an important contribution to the ongoing public debate about HPV diseases and vaccination, which is the reason I chose it as a concerned citizen
After watching The Vaccine War, the main concerns of vaccines are public safety, the aftermath of injecting harmful chemicals into ones’ body and the parents that choose not to vaccinate their children. In the beginning of the documentary, a mother, Jennifer Margulis, states she felt like it was not needed for her newborn child to be vaccinated for a sexual transmitted disease. She feels like the ingredients are scary for a young child to take in with an immature immune system. The other issue is a massive outbreak of disease that could have been prevented. The Center of Disease Control is carefully watching the town that Ms. Margulis lives, Ashland, Oregon, because it’s the least vaccinated places in America due to parents opting out of vaccines.
The article “People Should Not Be Allowed to Refuse Vaccination” focuses on the dangers people who choose not to vaccinate are opening to others. The argument stems from the ease with which disease can spread through an unvaccinated community and the threat this poses to those who cannot vaccinate. Because of this danger the author of the article believes vaccination should not be left to choice, but required for the good of public safety.
The unforgettable story of vaccines is a story of triumph and controversy. The saddest part of the story is persistent ignorance and a lack of education, comingled with the personal need of some parents to explain away the problems of their children, have caused the controversy to arise. The good news is that the triumphant reality of vaccines as a whole is still the larger enduring legacy. The human papillomavirus vaccine is not an exception to this rule; in fact despite all the controversy surrounding the vaccine, it is one of medicine’s greatest lifesaving gifts to us.
There are over 100 types of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). This virus affects the skin and moist membranes that line the body such as the mouth, throat, fingers, nails, cervix, and anus. Between 30 and 40 of the 100 viruses can affect the genital area; for the most part it causes genital warts. Human Papilloma Virus is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases In the United States, according to various studies it is estimated that at least 50% of sexually active people will get some type of genital Hpv at some time in their lives. People can get Hpv and have the virus for years, even pass it on to their sex partners without even knowing it that is because the virus often does not show any symptoms. It is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer”. (“HPV fact sheet” 2012).
Most people know what vaccines are and have received them during our childhood years; but past that knowledge, most people do not think much about vaccines until we have children of our own. Some parents are more skeptical than others on the topic of vaccinations, but most parents choose this preventative measure in protecting their children from harmful diseases. However, in the case of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, there is quite a controversy as to if it is appropriate to administer the vaccine to pre-teen to teenage children. Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the United States; an estimated 14 million persons are newly infected every year (Satterwhite,
Wallace may have fallen short of persuading readers to vaccinate their children, but recently this has been a very controversial topic. In order to make this a better article, more facts and statistics should have been used to reveal how large of an issue this really is. Overall, Wallace did a nice job of presenting her argument on why parents should vaccinate their children, but in order to make a larger impact different types of resources and references are
Throughout the 21st century, the amount of medication consumed has inclined dramatically. One form of medication that is used by many is vaccination, which is very important to prevent illnesses and diseases such as measles, shingles, smallpox, etc. that anyone may encounter (“Importance of Vaccines”). Doctors and health specialists expect parents to bring their children vaccinated for the benefit of their healthiness especially young children. However, there are some who choose not to get vaccinated because they believe vaccinations have risks and disadvantages. They believe that the risks of getting vaccinated are a far greater risk than getting the probability of getting diseases. No matter what may the disadvantages
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has listed immunizations as the number one greatest public health achievement in the 20th century. This attainment towards the goal of health and safety is a huge success for not only our country but from the global perspective as well. Immunizations help to prevent illness and death from vaccine-preventable diseases. The World Health Organization states that global vaccination coverage has remained consistent for the past few years; for example, the percentage of infants fully vaccinated against diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis has held secure at 83%. Programs for population-wide vaccinations have helped with the annihilation of polio in America since the late 1970’s, the eradication of smallpox, and the control of numerous other infectious diseases in the United States and other parts of the world.
Vaccines are not fun. Getting poked with a needle is not exactly considered ideal. I know I never liked getting vaccinated. When I was a baby, I would scream and kick and beg the nurse not to give me a shot. I hated needles and I hated shots. I have outgrown my fear now, but I still do not want to get poked with a needle every day. Despite my hatred of needles as a young girl, I still received every vaccine that my doctor recommended. And guess what? I have never gotten polio, measles, whooping cough, mumps, rubella, and other diseases that have killed millions of people in the past. Even though I hated it, they still helped me in the long run. So no, vaccines are not fun, but they are necessary. The benefits
Childhood vaccinations have received a lot of media in the past few years, and parents continue to question whether or not they should have their children vaccinated. This topic is a very important issue because it seems to be a trend in our society where parents are not vaccinating their children. This then leads their children becoming more susceptible to unnecessary diseases/viruses that can be prevented with vaccines. The focus of the following articles was on the association of the specific vaccines measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), and vaccines containing thimerosal, which has been a speculated reason for the cause of autism. This contentious hypothesis has many parents failing to vaccinate their children; this is especially true of many friends and family members of mine. They believe that vaccines can cause autism, and I want to prove otherwise.
The artcile published by The Conversation, explores the very many objectives towards vaccinations and extremely valid arguments from the opposing side. The article has a powerful statement as the title which initially worries and intrigues readers. The title states “Millons of Australian adults are unvaccinatd and it’s increasing disease risk for us all”. The article goes onto explain and identify the very many issues that are arrising and the risks and dangers for all of the Australian community.
He received a tremendous amount of support from several doctors and citizens hoping to prevent cancer growth in their children- the future generation. Several studies have shown that the vaccine itself is harmless, with few reports of mild side effects ( National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, 2015). It would protect the lives of millions of children long before exposure to HPV. Parents who supported governor Rick Perry’s order reinforced the vaccine and the numerous amount of benefits it would provide for young girls and the cost efficiency. HPV vaccines would be available to millions of families in the United States through organizations, such as Vaccines for Children, who provide vaccines at a lower cost, if not free, or coverage by personal insurance (Bassett, 2011). For these parents, the benefits human papillomavirus vaccines have outweighed any risks that may come as a result, and there is nothing wrong about caring for the wellbeing of their daughters. A majority of individuals who support Rick Perry’s decision wholeheartedly believe this is the best option to further protect the lives of those who might affected by the sexually transmitted viruses. However, other people express different opinions and concerns regarding the decision, as expected from a country that allows freedom in beliefs and opinions. It is not to say that one group is right, or one group is wrong, simply that each individual thinks differently and will not always agree on the same
Routine screening of all asymptomatic sexually active teens has been attempted but has not worked out. The reason is that the cost of such a screening program is prohibitively high and students and teenagers are often paranoid about their privacy and unwilling to participate (Llata et al, 2015). For over a decade, the rates of STDs in adolescents and teenagers have been rising in almost every city in the US. Thus, now researchers are asking two questions: 1) what is causing this rise in STDs? and 2) What can one do to counter it? In order to answer these two questions it is impor...
In recent years, the correlation between vaccines and autism has become the subject of much debate. On one side, there are the anti-vaccinators, or anti-vaccers. On the other, there’s pretty much everyone else. Despite the fact that the anti-vaccination movement has little base in scientific fact, their campaign to end early infanthood vaccinations rages on. While doctors and scientists try desperately to make parents look at the research studies, vaccination rates continue to fall. But, even in these dark times, there is still hope that scientific fact will prevail and defeat the anti-vaccination fear mongers who have caused many children to fall ill and even die because their parents did not properly vaccinate them. This is one of the most saddening scientific failures of the twenty-first century. A failure to educate the public properly has resulted in child, even infant, fatalities. The anti-vaccination movement was started based on falsified data and continues only because of a lack of knowledge and proper education of the general public.
Some of the biggest epidemics in the modern era have all but disappeared in first-world countries because doctors and scientists have discovered cures in the form of vaccines. Thousands of people are dying every year from preventable diseases because they’re refusing to get themselves and or their children vaccinated on account of bogus claims and false studies. Vaccinations should be mandatory because it prevents the spread of diseases to people who can’t afford them, it stops epidemics from happening and killing millions of people, and diseases that have already gone away because of vaccinations won’t come back.