Parents are concerned about HPV vaccination for children

Incomplete view

Ms. Nguyen Thi Th. in Te village, Hop Tien commune (Nam Sach) has 2 daughters, one of whom is a minor. Working as a worker in an industrial park, having been informed about the HPV virus, Ms. Th. knows that this virus often causes dangerous cancers in women. In addition, from her colleagues in the company, she thinks that the above vaccine should only be given to girls and the best time to give it is before the child has sex for the first time.

Ms. Th. said: "Some women working in the same company who have the means also take their daughters to get vaccinated. Getting all three shots for their children costs up to nearly ten million VND. However, in addition to the fact that the price of this vaccine is too high compared to the family's conditions, I also wonder if the vaccination will affect my reproductive health later on?"

After researching a lot of information online, Ms. Bui Thi D. in Ha Hai village, Ha Ky commune (Tu Ky) still did not let her child get vaccinated because she had many concerns. "According to recommendations, this vaccine can be given to both boys and girls. However, in addition to the price being too high compared to many other vaccines, I am also worried that after getting vaccinated, my children may have a tendency to have sex early, because they are no longer afraid of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. In some forums on social networks, this issue has also been brought up for discussion by some parents," Ms. D. said.

Contrary to the concerns of Th. and D., many parents have researched and encouraged their daughters to get vaccinated to prevent the disease. After being urged many times by their mothers, Luu Khanh H. and Nguyen Thi Kim Ng., both second-year students at Hai Duong Medical Technical University, took advantage of their day off to go to Duc Minh Vaccination and Nutrition Consulting Center to get the HPV vaccine. Khanh H. said that many girls are encouraging each other to get the HPV vaccine.

Dr. Tran Thi Thuan, in charge of the Duc Minh Vaccination and Nutrition Consulting Center, said that the center currently has two types of HPV vaccines: Gardasil 4 strains and 9 strains, both from the US. Both of these vaccines can prevent the disease for both men and women, and the vaccination age is extended to 45 years old. In recent years, although the above vaccine has been of interest to parents, most of them have only vaccinated teenage girls, and very few men have been vaccinated. The reason may be that parents have not fully recognized the effects of this vaccine.

Can protect the whole family

Many parents think that HPV vaccination is only for girls. This is incomplete and inaccurate information. In fact, HPV virus is also increasingly causing serious health problems in men, especially men who have sex with men such as anal cancer, penile cancer... Some parents are also concerned that early vaccination will affect their children's reproductive health or that their children tend to have sex early.

According to Dr. Hoang Thi Thuy, Deputy Head of the Department of Reproductive Health, Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic (Hai Duong Province Center for Disease Control), HPV virus has more than 1,000 different strains. Of which, more than 40 strains cause diseases in the genitals and anus. In particular, strains 16 and 18 can cause cancer of the cervix, anus and other genitals.

Dr. Thuy emphasized: Any family member is at risk of HPV infection. For women, HPV can cause cervical cancer, a terrible disease that often increases in the age group of 40-60 years old. Some cases of cancer occur when they are only over 30 years old. In men, HPV causes cancer of the throat, anus, genital warts... In particular, the rate of HPV infection from women to men is about 60% higher than from men to women. The rate of HPV elimination in men is 26% lower than in women. Children are no exception, these diseases can be transmitted to children through skin contact, cross-infection through sharing items... of people infected with HPV or can be self-infected. In addition, people infected with 1 strain of HPV do not rule out the risk of reinfection or new infection.

According to the new instructions of the Ministry of Health, men and women from 9 to 45 years old can be vaccinated against HPV. Of which, Gardasil 9 is the first vaccine in the world to effectively prevent cancers caused by HPV, with a protection rate of up to 94%. Women who have given birth, women who are breastfeeding, middle-aged men... can all be vaccinated against HPV.

However, health experts recommend that boys and girls aged 9-14 are considered the "golden" age for vaccination. At this age, children have a strong immune system and respond well to vaccines, helping to create a high and sustainable level of protection. At the same time, it also helps save costs, reducing the number of injections to 2 instead of 3 as in adulthood. Early vaccination does not reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine because the vaccine's protection lasts up to 35 years; the vaccine's seroconversion rate remains high at 89-96% after 10 years of vaccination in adolescents.