Doctors Say Young Teens Should be vaccinated for HPV

Описание: (KUTV) a As kids head back to school, doctors are reminding parents about vaccinations.

There are four vaccinations that are recommended for young teens. Those vaccinations include influenza, DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis), meningococcal, and the HPV vaccine. While doctors say Utah parents are doing a great job of getting most of these vaccinations, the state still lags when it comes to administering the HPV vaccine to young teens.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that can cause warts and cervical cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that young teens between the ages of 11-to-13, should be vaccinated to protect themselves from HPV.

aIt used to be a vaccine that we gave to 11 to 13-year-old girls. But now the vaccine is equally recommended for boys,a said Dr. Russell Osguthrope, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Rock Canyon Pediatrics in Provo.

Osguthrope knows there are a lot of parents who are wary of the HPV vaccine. But, he says the vaccine could protect young teens from cancer.

aCervical cancer is a significant issue and this vaccine prevents 75 percent of all cervical cancers," said Osguthrope. "So I think if people understood that fact, it would become very clear that this vaccine is a needed vaccine.a

Doctor Osguthrope says the HPV vaccine is most effective if given to you teens, as opposed to adults.

aOnce you have contracted the virus, the vaccine cannot cure you of that infection. The vaccine only prevents the acquisition of the virus. So we have to vaccinate you before you become sexually active for it to work.a

To read the CDCas guidelines regarding the HPV vaccine, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/hpv/vaccine.html

(Copyright 2014 Sinclair Broadcast Group)