But the CDC isn’t—at the moment—recommending the vaccine for boys.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted today to recommend the use of the Cervarix human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in girls age 11 and 12. Cervarix was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 16 and acceptance by the ACIP is the next step toward widespread use of the vaccine. The panel had initially recommended that the guidelines say that Gardasil, previously approved by the FDA, and Cervarix were interchangeable. But the final approval noted that Cervarix protects against only two strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer, while Gardasil protects against those two strains plus two other strains that cause genital warts.
The panel also voted that Gardasil “may be given to males aged 9 through 26 years to reduce their likelihood of acquiring genital warts.” That statement stopped short of recommending it for boys and men and some experts think that, as a result, insurance companies will not pay for the vaccine for males.
My post about why they should recommend the vaccine for boys is here.
That sucks, especially about insurance not likely covering the vaccine for boys. Thanks for the update.
Can’t say as I understand their thinking here. Is there any downside to getting the vaccine? Is there not enough to go around? Even if the risk for boys is lower (assuming we lump gays and straights together), why not innoculate against that risk?
And clearly this policy fucks over gay boys who aren’t yet out of the closet.
I recall reading that HPV has been found under the fingernails of boys… so even normal childhood sexual exploration –just fingers touching place– can transmit the li’l virus.
Offer the vaccine to frickin’ every child, that’s a no-brainer. Religious (& other) objectionists can opt out if they wish (and thus risk their child catching HPV). At least more people will be vaccinated than not.
C’mon people use Science. It works, bitches!
I was told by my doctor that even tho I’ve always used condoms and had the Gardasil shot, it can be transmitted in a multitude of different ways and since 75% of men have HPV, I’m basically shit out of luck in trying to prevent it. Awesome.
Cervarix. That’s the best pharmaceutical name since Flomax.
@4 – yup. which is why a vaccine is important.
jesus fucking christ.
meh
why must teh gay be so painful
The CDC’s caution/cowardice notwithstanding, why couldn’t any male of any age (18+ or with sympathetic, intelligent parents) who thought he might benefit from the vaccine request and receive it from a physician or public-health clinic (off-label if necessary)?
Uuuuuuggggggghhhhhhhh. What idiocy. Can no one on that panel recognize that Gardasil MIGHT have some benefit for boys and men beyond preventing them from getting warts? Like, I don’t know, not giving their girlfriend or wife cervical cancer? Couldn’t they have at least mentioned in the OPTIONAL reasons for males to get the vaccine, that there might be some reciprocal concern for the female population there?
@9, of course they can, but Gardasil consists of three successive shots, and each one without insurance costs about $150. Not many people can afford $450 worth of preventative care on top of insurance payments.
On the other hand, lymerae, since I refuse to pay the $900+/mo. the insurance industry wants (my crisis plan at the moment is Medicaid), $450 is doable.
What about people over 26? “May” the HPV vaccine be given to people over 26, or are we just written off as a lost cause?
This is why I love living in Canada, and why the public healthcare system is so important for my fellow Americans (I’m here for university) is so important.
I got all three shots, at my university’s health clinic for 19$ a piece.
Even if you don’t wanna help the gay community — how awful that would be! — how about the boys that grown up to hook up with, or marry, women from other countries that may not have been vaccinated. Oh, right, I forgot, immigrants don’t deserve our compassion either.
@4 don’t despair! There are many many different types of HPV there are 2 vaccines – both protect against the 4 most common cancer-causing strains and one also protects against the 4 most common wart causing strains. There is some thought that the shots may protect against strains that they are not specifically targeted at.
In any case – 75% might have *some* form of HPV, but most don’t have all forms, and not all who have HPV have a form that’s likely to do damage.
I think it’s important to note:
(1) we don’t know exactly how the disease is transmitted – sex does it, but it’s possible other contact can occasionally transmit the disease too.
(2) children and babies have shown up with the disease. They may have gotten it during child-birth, or it may have been transmitted by some other contact.
In either of these cases it’s clear that the vaccine offers protection to even celibate people. You could abstain from sex until marriage, then marry a man who got the disease from his own mother. Or a man could marry a woman who always had the disease – even if she were vaccinated once she has the disease the vaccine won’t cure her.
Also, god will forgive you cervical/anal/throat cancer won’t.
I’m male, over 26, and would pay the money out of pocket if insurance wouldn’t cover it– am I still not allowed to receive it? Grr.