Messages

Thanks so much!  It's sort of frustrating to post a question and have it pretty much ignored so people can flame me about not wanting a particular vaccine.  

Like I said, I don't think any less of peole who chose to have their kids get the vaccine, I just think they should be fully informed.  

There is a TON more to the story (isn't there always?), but yeah, we try to be involved.  DBM (Daughter By Marriage) has been living with us this past school year, but is with her mother over the summer.  Her mom has a long history of doing this stuff behind DH's back, so it's not like this is the first.  It's the first that DH has been so adamantly against, though.

I truly believe it is a very personal decision.  The idea of this vaccine, so new on the market that most insurance companies don't even cover it yet, being mandatory, is quite frightening.  

Some people want their children to have it, and that is fine.  That is their decision.  Personally, we want to wait.  If you go to the VAERS website, you can search their database.  Yes, 3 girls have died after taking it, due to cardiac issues.  Many (over 1600, which is a lot considering how new the vaccine is) have had serious reactions.

Yes, I understand her mother is also entitled to her opinion on it.  We are simply asking that she wait, and that SDs desire regarding the shot be considered.  She is 16, and able to make decisions regarding her reproductive health otherwise;  Why not immunizations, especially one that has to do with an STD?  

Yes, we absolutely have to worry about it with several shots.  It is the first one that is the most dangerous.  But the thing is, she can always get the shot later if she wants it.  She can't "un-get" a shot.

Hmm, that might work.  

I'm quite aware of the side effects of chemothearpy, as I stated my daughter just finished 2 years of chemotherapy for leukemia.  You're right, when faced with certain death or a chance at life, you take your chances with the medications.  

But we are talking about a BRAND NEW vaccine that MIGHT help prevent a FEW strains of an STD that MIGHT cause cervical cancer SOMETIMES if you get it.  In my opinion, it's not worth the risk.  I'm not saying you're a bad person if you believe it's worth it.  It's a very individual decision.  And that's my point.  My question is NOT about the vaccine itself, it is about the rights of a parent with legal custody.

Thanks for sharing

Actually, all you have to do in most states is sign a waiver saying your opting out.  They cannot force you to immunize your children in order to go to public school.

And there IS documentation as to the negative reactions of the shot.  The problem is, there is no actual documentation as to the positive results, because it hasn't been around enough.  But for some reason, just saying, "Oh, it's safe" is considered enough.  Yeah...So is thalidomide for pregnant women, right?

>But as uncomfortable as that was (and there have been no
>reoccurances since I married DH), I will never fail to get
>another pap.  Still, if I was in the same 'environment' as I
>was in the past and they offered the vaccine to me, I'd jump
>at the chance.  If there's a chance that it could keep this
>from happening again, you bet I'd take it.

I can understand that, and that is your decision.  My concern is that we don't know what the long term effects of this vaccine.  It is possible that it renders the girls unable to have children, causes other types of cancer, anything.  We don't know.  If, for instance, we found out it can cause uterine cancer, would you STILL think you'd have wanted it?  We don't know if this is safe, and I think that the decision to subject someone to it should be up to the parents.  To me, it's forcing someone to be a guinea pig.  

The only reason this is in question now is that my husband has joint legal custody of his daughter.  I just want to know if that actually MEANS anything or not.  

Good luck to you with your health.  I know how scary it can be, my 6-year-old daughter finished chemotherapy in January for leukemia.

>To answer your question, you'd have to file in court to block
>her getting the vaccine. I doubt if it's anything you could do
>yourself as it would be fairly complicated with a lot of
>issues and probably a number of expert witnesses.

So a parent who has legal custody can't tell a doctor's office anything and expect it to be respected, if the other parent takes the child in behind their back?  

>Having said that, I would encourage you to reconsider your
>position. While there's a lot of innuendo going around, the
>FACTS are:

Well, working in a pediatrician's office, I doubt you have any "facts" that I haven't yet heard, but...

>1. The vaccine is quite effective (but not perfect) in
>preventing one type of cancer - a particularly tragic cancer
>that occurs when a woman is often raising a family.

That is not at all true.  It may be effective in preventing a FEW STRAINS of a STD that SOMETIMES MIGHT lead to cervical cancer.  Much more important are regular pap tests.  Experts estimate that about 90% of women who die from cervical cancer would have survived if they had had a regular pap test.  And remember, women can get cervical cancer without having HPV, so even those girls who get the shot STILL need to be tested for cervical cancer every year.  Unfortunately, they are being told that this shot will prevent cervical cancer, period, and are even less likely to have regular pap tests for it.

>2. The vaccine does NOT increase the frequency of sexual
>activity (in spite of innuendo otherwise from various
>religious groups).

Never thought it would.

>3. The vaccine does not have serious side effects.

*LOL*  Really?  Are you serious???  So DEATH isn't serious enough for you?

>4. Even if your daughter does not have premarital sex, she
>could still get HPV (and after that, cancer) from her husband
>since a large number of men have the virus and do not know.
>This vaccine will reduce the risk greatly.

If she changes her mind and wants the vaccine later on, fine.  That's up to her.  Right now, though, she sees no reason for it.  

>I also dont understand why your dh would be against this. DBM
>is probably reacting to what she is hearing.  

Well, yes, probably.  Of course, she is much better informed about this vaccine than the average teenager.  Unlike her mother, who honestly believes it is a vaccine for CANCER (which it's not), she knows what it is, what it's for, and what the risks are.  I believe that if she is old enough to make the decision on birth control, she is old enough to make the decision on what foreign material she takes into her body.

>I wish I could get the vaccine,
>but I'm too old.  My 14 year old is taking the vaccine, my
>youngest doesnt want a shot.  That's okay..she has time.

Do you know WHY you can't have it?  Honestly, does it REALLY make sense that they'll give it to our children, but not to adults, who are able to consent?  Sorry, I'm not willing to allow a child I care about to be a guinea pig.

>Our doctor said that some people think its a way of saying go
>have sex...which its not.  She said the concept is the same as
>giving your toddler the hepatitis B vaccine.  

Well, I DON'T see it as a way of telling your teen to "go have sex."  In fact, she's asked about birth control because of her side effects of menstruation, and we have no problem with that.  

You're right, the concept is similar to that of the Hep B vaccine.  Our kids don't get that one, either.  :o)

>If you want to pursue this in court, you need actual reasons
>other than what has been stated so far.  For example, is there
>any harm?

Well, I hadn't stated any reasons until this morning, so I don't know what you mean.  Yes, there IS a great potential for harm.  I posted my concerns in the post above this, and I'll copy that in here:

We don't want her to have the vaccine because, simply put, we don't trust that it is safe or necessary.  It is very new.  The company that makes the vaccine has been very dishonest in its presentation of what the vaccine is and what it is for:  It is being hailed as a "cancer vaccine," when in fact, it is NOT.  It is a vaccine that MAY help prevent a FEW strains of a STD that MIGHT cause cancer SOMETIMES.  Of course, we don't know that it doesn't CAUSE uterine cancer, or ovarian cancer, or any other number of things.  

The vaccine also has had a HUGE number of serious adverse reactions for the short time it's been available.  THREE girls have DIED from getting it, and numerous others have ended up in the hospital.  Most common, from reading through the reported reactions, are cardiac issues and fainting.  Some girls have had seizures, so there are neurological issues involved.  

It's just not worth the risk.  Much, MUCH more important are regular pap tests, which will pick up abnormal cervical cells no matter if they are caused by HPV or not.

>It may make you feel better to know the shot is given in three
>injections over a six month period....so, if its not followed
>through she will not be protected anyway.

Doesn't make me feel better AT ALL.  I am familiar with how it's administered, I work in a pediatrician's office.  :o)  Actually, even without the 2nd and 3rd shots, there is some measure of protection (well, there is with vaccines in general, as I've already stated, I am still not convinced this one actually does protect).  But even with ONE dose, there is a potential for an adverse reaction.  In fact, it's the first dose that generally causes the deaths and serious reactions that have been reported.

I don't think that is really the issue, but I will answer it.

We don't want her to have the vaccine because, simply put, we don't trust that it is safe or necessary.  It is very new.  The company that makes the vaccine has been very dishonest in its presentation of what the vaccine is and what it is for:  It is being hailed as a "cancer vaccine," when in fact, it is NOT.  It is a vaccine that MAY help prevent a FEW strains of a STD that MIGHT cause cancer SOMETIMES.  Of course, we don't know that it doesn't CAUSE uterine cancer, or ovarian cancer, or any other number of things.  

The vaccine also has had a HUGE number of serious adverse reactions for the short time it's been available.  THREE girls have DIED from getting it, and numerous others have ended up in the hospital.  Most common, from reading through the reported reactions, are cardiac issues and fainting.  Some girls have had seizures, so there are neurological issues involved.  

It's just not worth the risk.  Much, MUCH more important are regular pap tests, which will pick up abnormal cervical cells no matter if they are caused by HPV or not.


>Practically all the childhood immunizations are like that.
>But we still get them, for us and our children, because we
>know that to do otherwise could potentially put us in harm's
>way of getting seriously ill or dying.

That's not entirely correct.  My son, who is 15 months old, is being immunized on OUR time frame, not the government's.  There are also vaccines he will not be receiving, such as Hep B, Hep A, Varivax, and the MMR.  Believe me, I know all about vaccines.  I work in a doctor's office, in the pediatric's department.  

Like I said, though, that's not the issue.  The issue is that both parents have legal custody.