AUDIO-CDC: HPV Vaccine Rates for Teens 'Unacceptably Low': Forum | KQED Public Media for Northern CA

Mon, Aug 4, 2014 -- 9:00 AM

Mon, Aug 4, 2014 -- 9:00 AM

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A pediatrician gives an HPV vaccination to a 13-year-old girl.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A pediatrician gives an HPV vaccination to a 13-year-old girl.

The majority of teenagers in the United States are immunized against diseases like tetanus and meningitis. So why is it that significantly fewer are being vaccinated for the cancer-causing human-papilloma virus? Last week the CDC released a study stating that less than half of American teens receive the vaccine, putting them at risk for HPV-associated illnesses like throat and cervical cancer. We'll talk to medical experts and health advocates about the latest research on HPV prevention.

Host: Judy Campbell

Guests:

• Pamela Tom, founder of HPVandme.org
• Paul Offit, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of books including "Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All"
• Sophia Yen, teen and young adult health specialist at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, and clinical assistant professor at Stanford School of Medicine

More info:

Also, please note that your comments could be read on air. We may edit them for clarity or brevity, and we will use only your first name to identify you on the air.