Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor hosted Dr. Anne Schuchat, the top immunization specialist in the nation, who warned that while recent outbreaks of diseases have garnered international attention, we cannot forget about those that can actually be prevented, such as HPV, but still are causing thousands of deaths each year nationwide. A vaccine is available to boys and girls to prevent HPV and the cancers they may cause.

“The girls and boys not vaccinated can go on to develop diseases that may not make the front page of the news but still be very devastating,” said Dr. Schuchat, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, while at CAMLS in downtown Tampa.

“Florida hovers at the bottom when it comes to HPV vaccination rates,” said U.S. Rep. Castor, who earlier this summer led the launch of an HPV Awareness & Action Coalition to increase vaccination rates in Tampa Bay. The coalition includes medical professionals, public health researchers and students – many who were present today at CAMLS with U.S. Rep. Castor and Dr. Schuchat – to bring this critical public health initiative to the forefront of our community through outreach and education. 

“More than 50 percent of teenage girls in Florida have not received the first dose of the HPV vaccine,” Dr. Schuchat said. She explained that while Florida is ahead of other states when it comes to infant and toddler vaccines, the state is very behind when it comes to the HPV vaccine and encouraged clinicians and parents to regard it as one of the three, routine vaccinations recommended for 11 and 12-year-old girls and boys. The other two vaccines are:  Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine and Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4).

“I applaud U.S. Rep. Castor for taking action to address the critical need to increase HPV vaccination rates across our community and our state, with the ultimate goal of preventing disease and improving health,” said Dr. Charles Lockwood, Dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “At USF Health, we are delighted to support her vision and dedication to protecting today’s young adults from future HPV-related cancers.”

Dr. Donna Petersen, Dean of the USF College of Public Health, was also present today and said:  “The USF College of Public Health is honored to contribute to this HPV awareness campaign largely through the efforts of professor Dr. Ellen Daley and her rsearch team. Their community-based work is precisely what this effort needs because it will take all of us coming together to get the word out that prevention works. We know that HPV causes cancer and that cancer takes lives. We also know that the HPV vaccine works and that it is up to all of us to educate and reinforce these critical messages.”

In addition to U.S. Rep. Castor and USF Public Health and its graduate students, other members of the HPV Awareness & Action Coalition include Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Baycare, American Cancer Society, Tampa Family Health Center, Hillsborough County Health Department, PITCH (Pinellas Immunization Team for Community Health), Hillsborough County Immunization Task Force, Florida Association of School Nurses, Hillsborough County Health Department, Pinellas County Health Departments, RN Cancer Guides and many more.

###