Top Cancer Centers urge public to vaccinate their children

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — In response to low national vaccination rates for HPV, dozens of top cancer centers are issuing statements to encourage vaccinations.

UK Markey Cancer Center announced their endorsement on January 27, with a joint statement that young adults and physicians need to act.

“Although we have made progress in the past several years, Kentucky continues to rank first in the nation for both cancer occurrence and mortality,” said Dr. Mark Evers, director of the UK Markey Cancer Center. “We are still in the top 10 nationally for cervical cancer deaths, and increasing the HPV vaccination rates will significantly lower this grim statistic.”

The HumanPapillomavirus is responsible for approximately 27,000 new cancer diagnoses each year in the U.S., and several vaccines are available that can prevent the majority of these cancers. Kentucky in particular, has higher rates of these preventable cancers than the national average.