vaccines

Study: Oral cancers on rise due to HPV

By Ryan Buffa | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Many Flagler College students are reconsidering human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines due to the growing number of head and neck cancers in the United States caused by the HPV virus.

According to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the number of cases of oropharyngeal cancer, which are cancers of the tonsils, throat and base of the tongue, have been rising since the mid-1980s.

“I got all three shots because I was influenced by my doctor and my mom because it seemed like a good way to protect myself,” said student Courtney Fusilier. “I think people should get it if they don’t want to die from those types of cancer.”

The causes of oral cancers function within two categories: cancer caused by tobacco and alcohol and cancer caused by the sexually transmitted virus, HPV, researchers said.


Three doses of HPV vaccine not necessary for cancer prevention, study says

By Amber James | gargoyle@flagler.edu

There has been much controversy throughout the years surrounding Gardisil and Cervarix, two FDA approved vaccines that help prevent cervical cancer.

Most recently, Republican presidential hopeful, Michele Bachmann, claimed the humanpaillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can cause mental retardation after meeting a mother who said it caused mental retardation in her daughter.


H1N1 vaccine is here for the healthy

By Matthew Boyle | mboyle@flagler.edu
Photo by Matthew Boyle

PHOTO: Nurse Lisa Mills gives junior Mary Harvey, 20, the intranasal H1N1 vaccine in the student center. Only healthy individuals can get the intranasal version.

Flagler College senior Ashley Kirschling got the H1N1 vaccine to protect her at-risk family members…