Taylor Handelman
April 24, 2018
Unit 4 Essay
After reading the research articles, I do believe that the HPV vaccination should be
mandatory. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of “…the fourth most common cause
of cancer-related death in females worldwide”, and anogenital warts (Castle, 2015). Due to a lot
of media coverage and discussion of whether or not the HPV vaccines (Gardasil 9, Gardasil, and
Cervarix) are safe, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) have monitored such effects closely to ensure its safety (Center
for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). With these vaccines spurring much debate over the
internet and on news coverage, there have been studies trying to conclude the effect that this had
on parents and whether or not they wanted their child(ren) to be exposed to such vaccines.
According to the research paper, Parents who refuse or delay HPV vaccine, parents have been
tending to refuse these vaccines and such estimates may have increased (Gilkey, 2017). While
this may still remain true, “In clinical trials, these vaccines have shown high levels of efficacy
against disease and infections caused by the targeted HPV genotypes in adolescent females and
males and older females” (Castle, 2015). The high risk that HPV has among individuals and the
safe tests concluded from the vaccines are a major reason as to why this vaccination is important
to society.
Works Cited
Castle, P. E., and M. Maza. “Prophylactic HPV Vaccination: Past, Present, and Future.”
Epidemiology and Infection, vol. 144, no. 03, Feb. 2015, pp. 449–468.,
doi:10.1017/s0950268815002198.
Gilkey, Melissa B., et al. “Parents Who Refuse or Delay HPV Vaccine: Differences in
Vaccination Behavior, Beliefs, and Clinical Communication Preferences.” Human
Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, vol. 13, no. 3, 2016, pp. 680–686.,
doi:10.1080/21645515.2016.1247134.
“HPV Vaccine Safety.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 30 Sept. 2015, www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccinesafety.html.
Modern Language Association 8th edition formatting by BibMe.org.