Get your kids vaccinated, health director urges

SANDUSKY — As children return to school, the state health department is urging parents to make sure their children are vaccinated. "Vaccines have been proven over time to be safe and effective," said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health. Recent news has shown why that's a good idea, Vanderhoff said. Although the outbreak in Ohio is now over, the state had 35 cases of measles earlier this year, Vanderhoff said, as part of a national measles outbreak. Across the U.S., the measles outbreak, as of Aug. 19, caused 1,375 cases, with 173 hospitalizations and three deaths, he said. The vast majority of the cases were for people who weren't vaccinated, Vanderhoff said. The MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella is required in Ohio for kids entering kindergarten. Other vaccines also are required for kindergarten, seventh grade and 12th grade. The MMR vaccine is very effective at preventing measles, Vanderhoff said. Along with the required vaccines, Vanderhoff also recommended two other vaccines. Everyone, regardless of age, should get the flu vaccine this fall, he said. And parents should also make sure their children get the HPV vaccine, which is recommended at age 11 and 12, although it also can be given to older young people. "It is a powerful cancer prevention tool," Vanderhoff said. According to the Mayo Clinic, the vaccine protects against a variety of cancers and prevents genital warts. Many teens are not up to date with the HPV vaccine, leaving them vulnerable to cancer, Vanderhoff said. Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infections specialist at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, said that misinformation about the HPV vaccine has been circulating on the internet. It's false, for example, to claim that the vaccine can keep girls from being able to have children. In fact, getting the vaccine prevents cervical cancer, which can be a source of infertility, she said. Claims that teens have died from the vaccine are also false. Worldwide, nobody has died from the vaccine, Edwards said. In Australia, where acceptance of the HPV vaccine is strong, the country is on its way to eliminating cervical cancer, Edwards said. "The HPV vaccine is amazing," she said. "I don't think anyone was expecting that."