Linsday Kuroki, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology
Parents want their kids to grow up healthy and happy. Reducing their cancer risk is a significant help, and it’s easier than you might think. By encouraging children to eat healthy, exercise and stay safe in the sun and by scheduling their recommended vaccinations, we can put them on the right path to lowering cancer risk later in life.
The HPV vaccine is safe and prevents more than 90 percent of HPV cases, greatly reducing our children’s risk of cancer. Serious side effects are rare and similar to other vaccines; commonly reported symptoms include injection-site reactions such as brief soreness, redness or swelling, dizziness, fainting, nausea and headache. Like all vaccines, HPV vaccine is monitored on an ongoing basis to make sure it remains safe and effective. Ten years of follow-up information after vaccination is available and we have no reason to believe that the HPV vaccine loses any ability to provide protection over time.
Read the full piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.