Is the new Gardasil commercial too sad?

The CDC recommends kids get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV). Certain strains of the virus can lead to cervical and other types of cancer, yet vaccination rates remain low. Merck, the company that produces the HPV vaccine’s brand-name Gardasil, released a new TV ad in June encouraging parents to procure the inoculation for their children.

But some are calling the commercial dramatic and overly emotional. One starts with a young woman declaring her cancer diagnosis, before regressing in time to show her during different points in life, demanding to know if her parents had thought to vaccinate her when she was 11 or 12 so she wouldn’t get sick in adulthood. There is another version of the commercial featuring a male subject.

Check out the Washington Post to see some people’s negative reactions of shame and guilt, and how it might be effective to get parents to act.