Officials Struggle To Overcome Parents’ Reluctance Over HPV Vaccinations
Because the virus is sexually transmitted, many shy away from getting their pre-teen children vaccinated, but officials say that's not the right way to think about it.
Sacramento Bee:
It’s About Cancer, Not Sex, Say Doctors, As CDC Urges HPV Vaccine For Preteens
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common sexually transmitted infection that can lead to cancers of some of the most private places: the cervix, vagina, penis and throat. Although there’s been a vaccine to prevent HPV for about a decade, vaccination rates among kids and teens have stayed relatively low, both in California and nationwide. Because HPV is sexually transmitted, some parents shy away from the vaccine, feeling it isn’t necessary for their preteens. Others contend the vaccine isn’t proven. (Buck, 2/2)
In other public health news —
San Jose Mercury News:
UCSF Study: "Dense Breasts'' Exceed All Other Breast Cancer Risk Factors
A new UC San Francisco-led study shows that women with “dense breasts” are at increased risk for breast cancer compared with women with a family history of the disease, their own history of benign lesions, or a first full-term pregnancy over age 30. The findings were published Thursday in the journal JAMA Oncology. (Seipel, 2/2)
Orange County Register:
Laguna Woods Man Is First Reported Flu Death Of Season In Orange County
A Laguna Woods man in his 50s is the first person under 65 to die of complications from the flu this season in Orange County, the Health Care Agency reported Thursday. The man died last week and lab testing confirmed that he was infected with influenza A virus, officials said. This death is a somber reminder of the serious threat posed by the flu, Dr. Eric Handler, the county’s health officer, said in a statement. (Bharath, 2/2)