Letter: HPV vaccine for boys, too

Kudos to columnist Daniel Akst for his determination to protect his sons against human papillomavirus, not only for their own safety, but as he so aptly stated, to "benefit society" ["No inoculation against health care runaround," Opinion, Nov. 14].

Once the Centers for Disease Control makes the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice's vote an official recommendation, it should be much easier to get Akst's sons vaccinated.

Far too many people view protecting against HPV as something that will promote promiscuity. There is no evidence for that and, in any event, that's the wrong way to think about it. The immunization community, which includes public health experts, infectious disease physicians, primary care doctors and other health care providers, works hard to ensure that vaccines are available to all who should have them.

It will likely take several months for the CDC to accept the advisory committee's recommendation. In the meantime, please know how important it is for forward-thinking parents to spread the word that this is an anti-cancer vaccine.

Dr. William Schaffner, Nashville, Tenn.

Editor's note: The writer is the president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.