If you had the opportunity to protect your kids from cancer, wouldn’t you do it? Of course you would. You’ve probably already made that choice by giving your child the Hepatitis B series of vaccines that prevents a form of liver cancer.
There is one other vaccine that can protect your child against a common and deadly form of cancer, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Nearly all sexually-active men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives.*
HPV is easily transmitted and is the most common virus spread through sexual contact in the U.S. Knowing that it can lead to cancer, why wouldn’t you want to have your child vaccinated?
The human papillomavirus vaccine became FDA approved in 2006. The vaccine protects against four major types of HPV and can prevent most cases of cervical cancer. It also helps prevent a form of head and neck cancer and rectal cancer. Since 2006, there has been a 56% reduction in HPV infections among teen girls in the U.S. This is a remarkable new tool in our fight against cancer.
Sue and her family have been seeing Dr. Kelly Delahunty of Hudson Physicians for 16 years now. Getting her five children vaccinated was a no-brainer. She says, “I am a strong believer in preventative medicine and I wanted to protect my children now.” (Pictured below are Henry, James, Anna, Sarah and Sophia.)
Here at Hudson Physicians, we have already seen a decrease in the number of patients infected with HPV. Research has shown that the younger your child receives the vaccine the better because the HPV vaccine produces a higher immune response in preteens than it does in older teens and young adults. We offer the vaccine to boys and girls starting at age 11. The HPV vaccine does not cause any serious side effects, and the protection the vaccine delivers is expected to be long-lasting and life-saving.
It’s not about sex; it’s about protecting your child against cancer. When you put it that way, it just makes sense. Stop thinking of it as an STD vaccine; it’s a cancer-fighting vaccine.
Dr. Kelly Delahunty says, “Good medical care is all about good preventative care. Parents really want to do the right thing for their children. I think there has been so much misinformation around vaccines lately that parents feel bombarded and worried. I feel so confident and excited about this vaccine that I’ve immunized my own grandchildren against HPV. Prevention of this disease is so much easier than trying to treat it.”
Please call Hudson Physicians today at 715-531-6800 to protect your child against this deadly virus.
*Source: The Center for Disease Control (CDC)
