Good morning folks, I have a question that I'm almost scared to ask, do not want to start a controversy...but am wondering if others are struggling with this issue. Since my husband's diagnosis last month, the HPV vaccine has been on my mind, a lot. We have two boys, 17 and 12 years old, both currently unvaccinated. A bit of history, both have complicated neurologic histories, including for the younger one developing severe epilepsy 5 days after his first (and only) MMR vaccine. Nobody can ever prove if there was a correlation or not, but his neurologist recommended that he not recieve the rest in that series. He has since outgrown epilepsy, which for us was the equivilant of winning the lottery.

We've heard the horror stories of reactions to the HPV vaccine. We're also well aware that the children being vaccinated are basically in the first wave, they're still figuring out the long term affects and affectivness. We also know the HPV vaccine only protects them from 4 of the 100 strains...but HPV #16 is one of those 4.

I just look at my dear, handsome husband, who has so bravely joined this battle for his life, and wonder.....do we risk giving our boys the vaccine and possible triggering epilepsy again, in order to avoid this fate in their future?? 80% of the adult population carries HPV, and most never develop SCC, is there something in our genes to make this more likely?

I do not mean to start a huge pro/anti immunization discussion, there are most certainly passionate feelings on both sides. I just wonder if any other families have dealt with this dilema with their children & HPV (vaccine & SCC cause), what went into their decision process. It's an extremely tough choice, almost as if you're damned if you do and your damned if you don't.