As parents, of course we want to know that the necessary steps have been taken to show that any vaccine, not just HPV, has been evaluated with respect to the costs benefit analysis of receiving such a vaccine.
Sometimes, though, when faced with preventing a deadly cancer, money should not become the primary focus if one can prevent such a tragic outcome.
This may seem easy for me to say, however. Each vaccine, of which there are three needed in the total series, costs about $350 each.
No, coming up with over $1,000 to cover the cost of this series isn’t something I could do, easily or otherwise.
Easily affordable or not, and especially with what seems to be a never-ending stream of implications regarding HPV doctors, there are programs which exist to assist patients and their parents.
Merck and the CDC need to advertise these programs so patients can bring them to the attention of their doctors.
Don’t ever be embarrassed when it comes to asking for funding available for the purposes of protecting your child with vaccinations. The cost of the vaccine will end up seeming like small change should the child develop an HPV-induced cancer because they did not receive the vaccination series. But at that point it will be too late.
Merck, the manufacturers of the Gardasil HPV vaccine, has provided various options since its approval to assist those who would otherwise be unable to receive the vaccine as a result of financial limitations.
Sources:
"A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Vaccines - Alice G. Walton - Health - The Atlantic." The Atlantic — News and analysis on politics, business, culture, technology, national, international, and life – TheAtlantic.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/a-cost-benefit-analysis-of-vaccines/251565
"The Patient Rebate Program for GARDASIL." The Patient Rebate Program for GARDASIL. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. http://www.gardasilrebate.com
Reviewed January 26, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jessica Obert