Providing patients and families with reliable information is helpful, Barry says. If they need or want to review the material and have a discussion at home, they are welcome to come back with questions. “That’s the key: In a busy day it’s sometimes hard to do, but it’s important to spend the time to counsel patients and parents about vaccines,” Barry says, “so they know that you’re really giving all the time and attention they need.”
Given the publicity that ACIP’s recommendation has already received, there will undoubtedly be more discussions about HPV vaccine between clinicians and adolescent patients (and their parents). Clinicians need to be prepared to answer questions about why boys can benefit from a vaccine that protects against a virus that causes, most notably, cervical cancer.
“They may say, ‘Well, my son doesn’t have a cervix,’” Barry says, “so there might need to be additional discussions just to clarify the exact reasons for giving the vaccine to males.”
Whether the concern is cervical cancer, anal cancer, cancers of the head and neck, or any of the other variations caused by HPV, the bottom line for clinicians is that the HPV vaccine is a powerful tool at their disposal that can help to prevent serious illness.
“You get a shot and you can potentially prevent your child from getting cancer,” Barry says. “That’s the main point I try to make. I just look at it as caring for the children.”