Ayanna Haskell
September 18, 2009
2:13 pm
For some time now, teenage females have been getting vaccinated for cervical cancer. The teenagers vary by age and state. There are more teens in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts getting shots then those in Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina. The states with the lowest shot rates have the highest rates of cervical cancer. Health critics believe that teens 11 to 12 should get the shot but it is approved for girls 9 to 26. There are 3 parts to the shot but most people only get the first one. You get all 3 shots within six months. There has been a rise of teens getting the vaccine but more should be added to the list to decrease the amounts of death due to cervical cancer. The vaccine is expensive ($390 for all three doses) which may account for not as many teens getting it. Some health insurance companies pay for the shots.
When I got a physical before I came to school, my doctor told me that my health insurance required that I get the Gardisal shot. It was because of my type of insurance and my age. I was 18. Cervical cancer is caused by the HPV (human papillomavirus). The HPV vaccine guards against the two strains that cause most cases of cervical cancer. I believe that more people would get the vaccine if it was easier to get and took less time. If a teenager could get all shots in one time, I'm sure more teens would be vaccinated. To remember to come back for the other two shots is something most people will probably forget. Also if the price was cheaper and more families had healthcare plans, parents would be less apprehensive about not letting there teenage daughters get the shot.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h8a2vVHss0DykeXTH77z4Yh5aq7AD9AP9N1O2
2 comments:
Yeah it's a good precaution to get the shot, but it still only covers a few of the many types of HPV that can give you cervical cancer. There are a lot of different types of HPV, around 90-100, and Gardasil only covers the main six, but it's still better to get the shot just in case.
I like this, very good post. I agree with the point about if more people had health care and if you could get vaccinated all at once.
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