Well, it looks like the vaccine is working DESPITE relatively low rates of "uptake":
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/hpv-in...id=msnhp&pos=1
Key quotes:
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"
Infections with the human papillomavirus tied to cervical cancer fell by more than half in U.S. teen girls after the HPV vaccine was introduced in 2006, despite high-profile controversy -- and low rates of uptake, a new study shows."
"Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued a 2007 executive order mandating that all sixth-grade girls be required to get HPV vaccinations, a move he later disavowed, and in 2011, Rep. Michele Bachmann ignited a firestorm by raising questions about the safety of the vaccine and whether it could cause "mental retardation."
"Even now, only about a third of U.S. teen girls ages 13 to 17 have had the full series of shots that prevent HPV infection, despite repeated studies that show the vaccine is safe and effective, said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other countries, including places such as Rwanda, have higher HPV vaccination rates than the U.S., he added"
“Rates of HPV infection targeted by the vaccine fell from 11.5 percent in 2003 to 2006 to 5.1 percent from 2007 to 2010 in girls and women ages 14 to 19, a decline of 56 percent, according to new data published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. The effectiveness of getting at least 1 shot in the three-dose series was 82 percent, the study concluded."
"That proves that the HPV vaccine works well in that target group, Frieden added. If the U.S. had reached a rate of 80 percent vaccination, some 50,000 lifetime cases of cervical cancer could be prevented, Frieden said."
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That last quote is stunning.
If vaccinating one-third cut the incidence of the disease in half, imagine how much lower it would be if we had vaccination rates of 90% or higher.
Imagine how much money we will save in cancer treatments alone down the road.
Good on Rick Perry for implementing the program in 2006. BAD on Rick Perry for disavowing it.
So, do any of our board conspiracy theorists or Bible thumpers have a bogus "study" they would like to mention that "proves" the HPV vaccine causes death and disease?