HealthStreet reached out to Dr. Stephanie Staras, an associate professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics and an expert in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine implementation research and whose work highlights the strong association between HPV vaccine initiation and parents’ beliefs about the HPV vaccine’s ability to prevent cancer safely. Dr. Staras shared with us information about the HPV vaccination. "When received by 17 years of age, the HPV vaccine can reduce the risk of cervical cancer by 88%. The vaccine also prevents five additional types of cancer - vaginal, vulvar, penial, anal, and oropharynx cancer. In order to prevent these six cancers, national health organizations recommend that the HPV vaccine be received by age 11 or 12. The vaccine is available at most health care providers for no or low cost and has typical side-effects of vaccines like arm soreness or redness. I see the HPV vaccine as an opportunity for parents to protect their children from future cancers and strongly suggest parents speak to their child’s primary care provider about the vaccine"
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