HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention: Protect Your Kids
If there were a vaccine against cancer, wouldn’t you get it for your child? The HPV vaccine prevents cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a very common infection.
Doctors recommend the HPV vaccine for both boys and girls at age 11 or 12, before risk of exposure to the virus. HPV is spread through skin-to-skin sexual contact, and is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. It is important to vaccinate preteens because the HPV vaccine produces the most infection-fighting cells, or antibodies, during the preteen years.
Boys and girls should get the vaccine at age 11 or 12—or as soon as possible if they’re older.
PCHS is proud to partner with the Washington State Department of Health to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated against HPV. Parents are the key to protecting adolescents from HPV cancers.
The HPV vaccine is free. Talk with your child’s doctor about the HPV vaccine today, or visit doh.wa.gov/HPV to get the facts.