Parents' Worries About HPV Vaccine on the Rise
Doctors puzzled by the growing safety concerns, because shot guards against virus that can cause cervical cancer
Surprisingly, Darden said, few parents brought up cost as an issue.
There are two vaccines that can prevent infection with certain cancer-related strains of HPV: Merck's Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix. And both of them cost about $400 for three doses.
Still, most insurance plans and Medicaid cover HPV vaccines. And the government Vaccines for Children program offers free vaccines to lower-income families who are uninsured or "underinsured." That might be why few parents blamed costs, Darden noted.
As for safety, he suggested that parents with concerns go to reliable online sites, like the CDC website, and talk with their child's doctor.
In what Darden called a positive finding, doctors do seem to be recommending HPV vaccination. In 2010, only 9 percent of parents who did not intend to vaccinate their daughters said it was because their doctor hadn't recommended it.
Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Cervical Cancer