Community

A Solution for HPV: Vaccine Expensive but Promising

by Razeen Zaman

Thursday April 5, 2007

Imagine a shot that cost $181. It seems silly at first when you think how painful shots are, and why pay so much for something that pains? But after glancing at some of the statistics, the old saying comes to mind, “No pain, no gain,” especially when that shot is Guardasil, a vaccination approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration as a protectant against four different strains of human papilomavirus (HPV).

In an attempt to address some of the growing questions and concerns about the vaccine, Sarah Lawrence Health Services facilitated a discussion on the HPV vaccine on March 6. Out of a total of 23 people who attended, mostly women, about four were students from Sarah Lawrence College. Health Services has been relatively quick to get the vaccine— they first started adminstrating the shots last November.

Cyndi Shaffer, a nurse practitioner at Sarah Lawrence College for five yars, facilitated with a PowerPoint presentation on the latest developments in HPV-related diseases and cervical cancer. Throughout the presentation, several statistics were emphasized, partly due to their shocking numbers. For instance, at least 80 percent of sexually active women will have acquired genital HPV infections by fifty years of age. And an estimated 74 percent of new HPV infections occur in individuals 15-24 years of age. But never fear. Shaffler reassures with the fact that although many people are infected, only a small percentage of those infected will actually have a negative health impact.

Approximately 3000 women die each year from cervical cancer in the United States. This is a relatively low numbe compared to third-world nations, in which cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Many women in the United States get pap smears from gynocologists, which help treat gential infections more efficiently and reduce the risk of cervical cancer. Even so, new diagnostic tests have been developed that make it possible to check if one has symptoms of HPV without exhibiting any physical symptoms. Shaffler reflects, “Techonology has gotten to the point where you know more than you need to know.”

Although only a few students attended the HPV discussion, Shaffler says that Health Services has received several phone calls from students and concerned parents about the vaccines. She estimates that the shot has been administered to roughly 36 students through Health Services. The HPV vaccine is a series of three shots. The process for getting the vaccine entails three steps. First, the student shoul come into Health Services where a nurse will give a prescription for three doses. The students will have to present the prescription to a pharmacy and at that time will be given the first dose by the pharmacy (with two refills.) Then, the student should return to Health Services, where the nurses can administer the other two shots. The total cost of the vaccine is $543, $181 for each of the three shots, and tests so far show the vaccine remains effective for at least four years.

The shot is so expensive, Shaffler explains, because it is new, and unfortunately most student health insurances do not cover vaccinations. Sarah Lawrence does not offer the shot because the students would have to pay in cash (no credit/debit cards allowed), and the vaccine has a short expiration date. Health Servics could not offer the shot for much less than the price of the pharmacy, and a cost-benefit analysis shows that it is not convenient for Health Services to hold the vaccine.

Similar to SLC, several colleges in the metro area are not offering the vaccine, such as SUNY Purchase, Pace, Iona, Fordham, Manhattanville, and the College of New Rochelle. Shaffler explains that some other colleges with larger budgets ma administer the vaccine because they are privately health-insured and can charge students’ health insurances to cover the vaccination. Although each year discussion and negotiation with different companies occur, it is not likely that Sarah Lawrence Health Insurance will cover the HPV vaccine next year because student health insurances do not generally cover vaccinations.

Meanwhile, SLC Health Services has attempted to publicize the vaccine through their discussion and by mentioning it to students who come into Health Services. Brochures about HPV can be found in Health Services, located in Lyles House.

• Statistics taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fact Sheet