“The new HPV vaccine: What the ObGyn needs to know,” an expert panel moderated by Thomas C. Wright, MD (January 2007)
The roundtable discussion of the new vaccine was outstanding. Here are 3 more questions about how to integrate the vaccine into clinical practice:
- Is it ethical to deny the vaccine to a woman over age 26 when it could potentially prevent cervical cancer?
- What about men and their role in “carrying” the virus?
- Can the vaccine be used as a treatment, as opposed to prophylaxis, for women with abnormal Pap smears?
I am a faculty member at a school that will not allow “off label” use of the vaccine despite daily requests for it. I hope additional data will help us broaden application of the vaccine to all who could benefit from it.
Daniel M. Avery, MD
Associate Professor and Chairman
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Alabama School of Medicine
Tuscaloosa, Ala
Cost of HPV vaccine is patient's responsibility (Includes Dr. Wright's response)