Public health officials lately have their hands full with exotic diseases like Ebola and Chikungunya.
But the immunization director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came to Tampa today with a different message. Dr. Anne Schuchat says Floridians should worry more that the state lags behind in vaccinating for cancers tied to the Human Papilloma Virus.
She says HPV infection is a major cause of cervical and other cancers. And Florida has among the nation's lowest participation rates."The girls and boys that aren't vaccinated right now against HPV may go on to develop preventable cancers in the future" said Schuchat. "They won't show up as an outbreak on the front page of the news, but their disease can be devastating."
The HPV vaccine is recommended for boys and girls ages 11 and 12.