Well, it's been out for several months. Have your young daughters been vaccinated yet? Have you suggested it to your adult daughters? Have you considered it? I have not been impressed with the enthusiasm to get this vaccine. I have a significant number of inquiries about it weekly, but have not seen the numbers I thought would be coming in to actually get the vaccination. I believe the clinical trials done on the vaccine prove the effectiveness and safety in preventing infections with HPV subtypes 6,11,16,and 18. I have told patients that I do believe we will have more different vaccines coming out. Maybe, that is the reason for the hesitancy to get vaccinated with Gardasil. The cost of it and whether the insurance will cover it are other possible reasons. I do not believe the vaccine should be mandated to any age group. I do believe at this present time, it should be recommended to parents of minors. The parents should have the final decision on the vaccine if their daughters are minors. Gardasil is probably just the beginning of the vaccines to come. I believe in the near future there will be a more multivalent vaccine more inclusive of the other High Risk HPV subtypes besides 16 and 18. Gardasil is a good start though when you consider that subtypes 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers in this country. Parents of young minors should discuss the vaccine with the pediatrician and parents of teenage daughters should consider talking with a gynecologist for further advice. I hope this has been helpful. For more information on Gardasil visit there website at Gardasil.com. Doc
This is a topic I've been discussing in my practice for the last several weeks with my patients. If you take a good look at my hands you'll realize that I adhere to fairly rigid handwashing techniques. I'm probably an obsessive-compulsive individual when it comes to handwashing. You should read this interesting historical overview of how the practice of handwashing in hospitals began to save womens' lives after childbirth in the 1800's. It was actually safer back then to deliver at home rather than a hospital due to the high post-partum infection rates in hospitals. Good and frequent handwashing during the day can lower your chances of viral and bacterial infections. That's the ounce of prevention. You don't have to get obsessive-compulsive about it. Next time you're at a public function, count how many times you shake someone's hand. Then ask yourself where those hands have been. They've been shaking other hands. Right? Great way to spread a virus and bacteria. Wash you hands when you get a chance. You may then notice a significant reduction in you own infection rate. Good luck and don't become OC about it. Doc Here's another website of interest on this subject: http://www.StopGerms.org
