HPV Vaccine
- HPV vaccine now recommended for ages 9-12, down from 11-12
- Younger age of vaccination confers greater immune response
- Think of it as a cancer vaccine, rather than an STD vaccine, Dr. Teknos advises
“The immune response is actually heightened as the child is younger,” says Dr. Ted Teknos, a head and neck cancer surgeon, and scientific director of University Hospital’s Seidman Cancer Center. “So if you’re vaccinated as a nine-year-old compared to an 11-year-old, your actual memory of that vaccine in your immune system is stronger — the effectiveness of the vaccine goes up.”
Read More“The rate of HPV-related head, neck cancers has gone up by 300% and that is entirely due to HPV infection,” he explains. “So there is no myth that HPV causes throat cancer. It's a sexually transmitted disease. And it’s something that is an epidemic in the United States.”
HPV & The Vaccine Explained
HPV has over 120 different strains, but HPV 16, has been shown to be the primary cause of 92% of head and neck cancers.
Gardasil 9 creates an immune response to HPV 16. Once children are vaccinated, they cannot be infected with that strain. For parents, the HPV vaccine enables them to protect their children from developing cancer in the future.
Still, some worry that the vaccine provides a license for early sexual activity.
Not so, says Dr. Tekos. “I think rebranding the vaccine as a cancer vaccine, rather than an STD vaccine, is critically important to changing the mindset around the vaccine and its effect on our society.”
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