HPV vaccine question

[trailmix 77]

I'm not happy about having to have these shots either. An interesting article about this topic was in the Wallstreet Journal yesterday:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122282354408892791.html

"The addition of Gardasil as a mandatory vaccine is the result of a 1996 immigration law, which states that any vaccination recommended by the U.S. government for its citizens becomes a must for green-card applicants. After the immunization committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised last year that Gardasil be given to females ages 11 to 26 in the U.S., the recommendation became an automatic requirement for prospective immigrants when the government updated its list of vaccines in July.

However, even some of the CDC physicians and experts who promoted Gardasil in the U.S. say they never intended to make the vaccine mandatory for young female immigrants."

It's rediculous, but by the time they either remove it from the recommended list, or change that law from 1996 all of us who are required to have it, will have had it, without being given the choice (other than not to immigrate to the States).

I think the article that Frazell mentioned is quite enlightening:

After the immunization committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised last year that Gardasil be given to females ages 11 to 26 in the U.S., the recommendation became an automatic requirement for prospective immigrants when the government updated its list of vaccines in July.

However, even some of the CDC physicians and experts who promoted Gardasil in the U.S. say they never intended to make the vaccine mandatory for young female immigrants.

"If we had known about it, we would have said it's not a good idea," said Jon Abramson, who was chairman of the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices when the body recommended the vaccine for U.S. citizens last year.

"We don't want someone coming into the U.S. who hasn't been vaccinated against measles or chickenpox," said Dr. Abramson, who is currently chairman of the department of pediatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. "HPV can only be communicated by sexual contact....This is not something that endangers kids in a school setting or puts your population at risk."

A spokeswoman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the requirement for the cervical-cancer vaccine, along with other mandated vaccines, reflects "a statutory requirement. It's based on CDC recommendations."

A CDC spokesman said the experts on the immunization committee didn't realize their decision would affect tens of thousands of immigrants. However, a government official said the cervical vaccine's inclusion on the list might be reviewed.

[Izoom 0]

This is a dumbed down way of putting this but its as though someone at dinner mentioned "Gardasil might be worth immunizing against"

and then next morning on CNN, your dinner conversation become policy. What gives?

It seems rather controversial based on the articles and information available to the public via the Internet. Unless there are more pros

out there than cons, I don't see supporting this immunization, despite having to do it in order to satisfy Visa requirements.

[trailmix 77]

This is a dumbed down way of putting this but its as though someone at dinner mentioned "Gardasil might be worth immunizing against"

and then next morning on CNN, your dinner conversation become policy. What gives?

It seems rather controversial based on the articles and information available to the public via the Internet. Unless there are more pros

out there than cons, I don't see supporting this immunization, despite having to do it in order to satisfy Visa requirements.

I don't think it's dumbed down at all - I think it hits the nail on the head. The information missing is .... why....why did they make the jump from the dinner party to making this mandatory?

[TheATeam 0]

I think that one word sums it up... MONEY! They're making some good money off of a controversial vaccine. I bet that the makers did a bit of research and found that law from 1996. I can't see any other reason for making it mandatory, as I personally don't believe that this vaccine, or many others are actually going to help us in the long run. That's just my personal opinion though.

[Jenni and Bo 0]

I went to see my doctor yesterday to show him the vaccine list from Montreal. The Dr in halifax has told me to hold off getting my shots until after I've had my medical, but my Family doctor just wanted to see what he would be needing. He is NOT happy that gardisil is on the list. He said that there is no reason it should be mandatory. I told him I (and a lot of others) feel the same way.

Good feeling to know my Doctor agrees with me anyway

Jen

[TheATeam 0]

Yeah, I think you'll find that there are a lot of doctors out there, Canadian especially, that don't agree with giving this vaccine. In fact, if I'd had to have it, I would have had to find another doctor to give it to me cause my regular doctor refused!

[Ontarkie 14,151]

get your doctor to write a note saying its you can't have it,maybe that will work i thought i read if you have a Dr's note saying you cant have certain vaccines its ok. but who knows with these ppl

[Reba 2]

you'd have to prove a medical reason for not getting it, and if you've already had other vaccines, your "medical reason" would be moot. Moral or religious reasons would also have to be proven, and submitted on some waiver form that costs you extra money to USCIS, so might as well just get the shot.

I think its stupid that they're not also requiring males of the same age range to get the vaccination. After all, HPV is a sexually transmitted virus, and males pass it on to females (and vice versa of course). So why are only females required to get the vaccine? Stupid patriarchal government lawmakers

[Flames9_RN 358]

What about vaccinating boys and men?

We do not yet know if the vaccine is effective in boys or men. It is possible that vaccinating males will have health benefits for them by preventing genital warts and rare cancers, such as penile and ####### cancer. It is also possible that vaccinating boys/men will have indirect health benefits for girls/women. Studies are now being done to find out if the vaccine works to prevent HPV infection and disease in males. When more information is available, this vaccine may be licensed and recommended for boys/men as well.

http://www.cdc.gov/std/Hpv/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm#hpvvac1

[Izoom 0]

So the chances of a family doctor or US Visa doctor writing a note saying the patient can't or won't have the shot is likely throwing a wrench

into the works?

[SapphireDreams 71]

So the chances of a family doctor or US Visa doctor writing a note saying the patient can't or won't have the shot is likely throwing a wrench

into the works?

I'm pretty sure you would have to file for a waiver, a letter is not enough. And if I recall reading, the waiver is against all vaccinations, you cannot specify one in particular. And, I'm pretty sure filing for waivers costs more money, so if you are doing it to save the money of getting the vaccine, you wouldn't really do that either.

Actually this reminds me I need to get this shot. I'm actually just scared because all of my friends who got it says it hurts a lot, more than usual. Of course I'm not happy i have to use funds from my winter clothes shopping budget... but such is life with immigration!

[Gemmie 142]

I have to completely agree.

I called my doctor surgery a few weeks ago and they had no idea what this vaccine even was... they called me back once they asked around, and told me that they would advise not having it done as it's still in the early stages. It's only being released to schools this September. I told her that I needed to have this done for immigration and she told me to come back in a few months once they have more information and didn't feel comfortable giving it out so early. She did however say that I could get it from another practise for an expensive price.

I don't *want* the vaccine even though I'm under 27 and have only had one partner... I think it should be my personal choice and I don't want something so "new" in my body, potentially as a test subject, potentially as a money-making process.

I'm going to wait until AOS because apparently it's not needed at the stage of K1. Having said that, I've heard that people that adjust status who haven't been subjected to the K1 don't need it anyway!

Ridiculous..

[Izoom 0]

So, unless I've misread some posts/reports...not all immigrants from all countries are required to have this? Thats even MORE unfair than

I originally thought.

We've spent enough time on this process and if its $100 something for the shot and it might hurt, I think a little pain is worth the goal of

being together. I've seen some numbers that say moderate pain, swelling, etc in rare cases, so lets hope she isn't one of those rare ones.

Of all the things that could have gone wrong, I'd hate for a shot to stop us from being together.

[SapphireDreams 71]

^^ I'm pretty sure everyone needs it for their AOS, but in Canada specifically they need it at the interview stage. Not all consulates require it at the interview stage.

I agree with you completely, worth the money and pain to be together.

[Reba 2]

Any female who applies for a green card who falls in the age range will have to get the gardasil shot, regardless of how they entered the country in the first place.