School girls in Year eight (about the age of 12) are offered a free vaccination against HPV (human papillomavirus). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted diseae, and is known to be a factor in cancers of the cervix, anus, vagina, throat and, in men, the penis.
It’s believed that about half of NZ girls are sexually active by the age of fifteen, and about 80% of the population will get HPV at some point in their lives. Usually it clears up by itself, but where it lingers, it can lead to cancer.
Normally vaccination rates are higher in the wealthier Pakeha and Asian populations and lower in poorer Maori and Pacific Islanders. But vaccinations for HPV have bucked this trend. The highest consent rate has been for Pacific Island girls where 71% are vaccinated. On the other hand only 52 % of Pakeha girls receive their parents’ consent.
When looking at schools by decile, low decile schools have a 74 consent rate compared to a 54% consent rate in high decile schools.
Why?
A Massey University researcher believes it is because wealthier Pakeha parents do not believe their daughters have sex.
Are wealthy parents living in cloud cuckoo land? Do they really believe that their daughters won’t succumb to the same temptations as any other red blooded kiwi girl? All they need to do is to think back to their own teen years to realise that is a fallacy.
Wake up NZ. a 58% vaccination rate for HPV is not acceptable.
Another Spectrum 
15 Mar, 2015 at 2:53 pm
Scary statistics.
15 Mar, 2015 at 3:06 pm
I know the vaccination rate in the US is very low at around 30%. Do you know what it is in Canada? I can’t find any statistics.
15 Mar, 2015 at 3:47 pm
I haven’t seen any statistics, but from what I have heard on the news and in the media, the rate is below 50%. There is a lot of concern (no science) about the safety of the vaccine.
15 Mar, 2015 at 4:05 pm
From the literature that I have seen, there is very little real evidence to support it is not safe. There has been the usual scare stories, and no doubt some of them are true. But the evidence, as with all vaccinations, is that the higher the vaccination rate, the safer the general population is.
15 Mar, 2015 at 4:45 pm
The big issue is anecdotal evidence. Someone can always come up with negative anecdotal evidence. Even with the flu vaccine (which has been around for decades) this happens. I’ve personally seen this happen and that is hard. I was in the hospital for a while (some years ago) and I came out for some fresh air one night and met a man whose Mom had just had the flu vaccine. She had had a reaction and had been transported to hospital. She died that night – I saw him later and he told me.
The problem is that there is always a small number who react to the vaccine. As there is for any kind of a mass rollout – be it vaccines or beans. Probability is not something that humans deal with well.
15 Mar, 2015 at 6:02 pm
I know what you mean. My wife used to suffer terribly from flu until she started having an annual flu shot about ten years ago.
I, on the other hand, had my first flu shot last NZ winter, and for the first time in several decades had a really bad dose of the flu. It;s not put me off having the vaccination again this year, as I don’t believe there’s a cause and effect between the vaccination and me getting the flu. However, If I catch the flu several times over the next few years, I might have to re-evaluate my belief.
15 Mar, 2015 at 3:09 pm
One of the problems with the ‘research’ here, is that it doesn’t give us all the information. Did higher decile school girls have to return forms that indicate consent or non-consent or perhaps, they didn’t give the forms to their parents? perhaps they are too embarrassed to discuss it with parents or perhaps they are already sexually active and don’t see the point? Perhaps in lower decile schools source consent from parents in a different way? How did this researcher reach this conclusion? was it based on interviews with middle Pakeha families? And this logic doesn’t seem to follow given the religious views of many Pasifika families – how is the message about the benefits of the vaccine conveyed? And then there’s the age old question… what about a vaccine for the boys?
15 Mar, 2015 at 3:33 pm
It’s a theory, not a conclusion. Research is being undertaken as to the actual reason(s) why parental consent is so low for wealthier Pakeha families. Anecdotal evidence seems to support the “white girls don’t have sex” theory, but more research is needed. The statistical data was collected in the Whanganui Health District. Whatever the reason, it’s a very unusual set of statistics, especially when you take into account the religious conservatism of Pacifika peoples.
Whatever the reason, the situation needs to be corrected.
From what I understand, the programme gets the most “bangs for bucks” by immunising girls only. But if the resources are available then why not both genders? And if the “white girls don’t have sex” theory proves correct, then that is a very good reason to extend the programme to boys. I very much doubt that those same parents would make that claim about their sons, and believe it.
1 Jun, 2015 at 9:14 am
I believe we’re in an era where vaccines are not what they used to be. And believe we need to take care to research not only what is in vaccines but what the wider professional opinions are. Many medical professionals no longer recommend vaccinations however the MSM does not report this. There is much info out there now … Dr Tenpenny is a good resource if you want to see the evidence of many of the dangers now & the cases we don’t hear about of the very adverse reactions and the deaths even of infants, and adults. These are not presented to us so we can weigh up the evidence and make an informed decision. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/thousands-of-teenage-girls-enduring-debilitating-illnesses-after-routine-school-cancer-vaccination-10286876.html
1 Jun, 2015 at 9:24 am
FEDERAL Health Minister Tony Abbott admits he may appear a “cruel, callow, callous, heartless bastard” over not having his daughters vaccinated with the anti-cervical cancer drug, Gardasil.http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/i-could-be-seen-as-cruel-on-gardasil-abbott/story-e6frg6nf-1111112494271 …. something to think about.