An increasing number of parents don’t intend to get their teen daughters vaccinated for HPV: Study

Despite the fact that more doctors recommend that teen females get vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), an increasing percentage of parents do not  intend  to get their adolescent daughters vaccinated, according to Mayo Clinic study published in the latest issue of the journal, Pediatrics.

Image/CDC

According to the study, “Reasons for Not Vaccinating Adolescents: National Immunization Survey of Teens, 2008–2010”, in a 2008 survey, 40 percent  of parents said they would not vaccinate their daughters against HPV.

However, that percentage increased to 44 percent in a 2010 survey.

Part of the reason for the increase is an increase in concern of the safety of the vaccine, 5% concern in 2008 versus 16% in 2010.

Another reason is that parents say their teen daughters are not sexually active, or that the vaccine was not needed or not necessary.

This trend troubled one of the Mayo researchers. In a recent Minnesota Public Radio report, Dr. Robert Jacobson, a senior researcher and pediatrician with the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center said, “That’s the opposite direction that the rate should be going.”

Jacobson said the vaccine is important because it prevents sexually transmitted HPV infections that lead to cervical and other cancers.

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