Dec. 07--A vaccine that once was only for girls and young women is beginning to be recommended for boys to prevent genital warts and some rare cancers, according to the state Health Department.
The vaccine is for human papillomavirus, a common sexually transmitted infection that can result in cervical or genital cancers.
More than half of all sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their lives, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The vaccine is recommended for children about age 11 or 12 but can be taken until age 26. It involves three doses taken a few months apart, said Susan Mendus, education director for immunization services at the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
It is most effective when taken before a person becomes sexually active, she said, adding that "it's a very important vaccine."
HPV doesn't always present symptoms, so a person may not be aware that he or she has it. The immune system can banish the virus from the body, but chronic HPV is also possible.
Gardasil, one of two HPV vaccines available for girls, was approved for boys in October 2009. The state Health Department began offering it this year.
Mendus suggests that parents ask about the vaccine when getting their children the vaccine known as TDAP, which will be required for seventh-graders beginning next fall, and the meningitis vaccine.
"Those are the three vaccines for teens," she said.
People younger than 18
who don't have insurance or Medicaid coverage can get the vaccine free through the Vaccines for Children program.
Otherwise, the shots cost about $120 per dose, adding up to about $360.
"It's a good idea for parents to check and see if their insurance covers it while their children are young," Mendus said.
Dr. Charity Pollak, a pediatrician for Hillcrest Medical Center, said she has been recommending the vaccine to boys and their parents for about a year.
"I probably don't push as hard as I do for females, but I do recommend it in general," she said.
Although many parents are wary, the vaccine is safe and necessary, she said. It is extremely important for girls but probably will be routine eventually for all children before they turn 15, Pollak said.
"I think it will catch on more and more," she said.
Planned Parenthood's Westside Health Center offers the HPV vaccine for men, and some are eligible for a sliding-scale fee or help from Merck, the manufacturer of Gardasil, said Judy Aaron, vice president of health services for Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma.
"Because of the expense, it's not pushed as much, but it is available," she said.
More than 100 types of HPV exist, and only a few cause cancer. Some types also can cause genital warts. Women with HPV are at risk of cervical, vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers, while men with the virus are at risk for anal and penile cancer.
HPV also can cause head and neck cancers in both genders.
About 12,000 women in the United States get cervical cancer each year, and about 4,000 die from it every year. About 1 percent of all sexually active people have genital warts, according to the CDC.
Shannon Muchmore 581-8378
shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.com
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