Drug Conglomerate funds campaign to impose Mandatory HPV Vaccine on Young Girls

LifeSiteNews ^ | 2/2/07 | Gudrun Schultz

[wagglebee]

UNITED STATES, February 2, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A nation-wide campaign to introduce mandatory vaccination against the sexually-transmitted Human Papilloma Virus for girls as young as nine is being funded by the drug company that produced the vaccine.

Gardasil, the highly-publicized vaccine recently developed to prevent HPV infections in sexually active young women, has been aggressively marketed in the US as a protection against the disease responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancer. HPV is contracted through sexual activity, with sexually promiscuous behavior greatly increasing the likelihood of infection.

The massive drug company Merck and Co. developed the vaccine. Merck is helping to fund efforts to establish state laws mandating immunization of 11 and 12 year olds, according to a report released by the Life Issues Institute Jan.31. The company has admitted to funneling money through the advocacy group Women in Government, with a membership of female state legislators. Members of the group have backed many of the state measures to introduce mandatory immunization with Gardasil.

Merck has refused to say how much money is being spent on the lobbying efforts, but reports say their budget in Texas alone has doubled to between $150,000 to $250,000.
 
The US Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil in July 2006 for sale and marketing to girls as young as nine. Later that month a CDC committee voted unanimously to recommend that girls ages 11 and 12 receive the vaccine.

Legislation has been introduced in five states that would make vaccination for HPV mandatory for young girls, including Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Michigan, and Wisconsin. A similar bill in Maryland is to be withdrawn, but will likely be reintroduced during the next legislative session, according to a report by the Kaiser Network.

Most of the bills would require girls to receive the immunization by age 11--some contain parental opt-out clauses that would allow parents to refuse the vaccine for their daughter by signing a document indicating they were informed on the issue.

If the state measures are ratified, the financial boon to Merck would be significant. As it stands the company stands to reach at least $1 billion in sales per year, according to estimates by drug-industry analyst Steve Brozak with WBB Securites.

Forcing the vaccine on young girls is an infringement on the rights of their parents, opponents say, and ignores the fact that HPV is a highly preventable disease largely caused by risky sexual behavior.

“Even though most states propose opt-out provisions for parents who have moral objections, the requirement intrudes on families’ privacy and it begins to chip away at parents’ authority to make moral and medical decisions for their children,” said Bradley Mattes, executive director of the Life Issues Institute. “Further, it sends a conflicting message to children whose parents advocate abstinence until marriage.

Mandating immunization sends the message to young girls that they are expected to engage in sexual activity, Mattes said.

“It appears nearly everyone discussing the issue seems to have abdicated the concept of abstinence until marriage - the best and most simple answer.”

As well, Mattes said the vaccine would undo years of effort to reduce the pregnancy and abortion rate of teenage girls by providing a “false sense of security among many girls, resulting in more teenage sex, other STDs, pregnancy and abortion.”

See Life Issues Institute report:
http://www.lifeissues.org/breakingnews.html

See report from the Kaiser Network:
http://kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=4...

[BlazingArizona]

Ooooh - a splinter cohort of Republicans is daring to challenge the absolute right of pharma companies to tell consumers what is good for them? Don't let the RNC find out about this, or it's off with your heads, peasants!

[cosine]

CDC does not do vaccine approval. That is the province of the FDA. Its statement on the vaccine can be found at http://www.fda.gov/cber/products/hpvmer060806qa.htm. It is highly unlikely that anyone will get a tumor from it as it is a typical antiviral vaccine that only includes proteins from the surface of the HPV strains.

It was tested on 20,000+ people in stage II trials. You have to get the vaccine before you get the virus to be sure of avoiding the disease. More information is available at http://ott.od.nih.gov/current_issues/issues-ended-09-18-2006.html

It is expensive and takes three jabs spaced over 6 months. Which means that requiring it may be silly. Let free people make their own decisions.

HPV virus is the most common STD. A girl's future husband may have it and not know it. If one wants to vastly lower one's daughter's risk of cervical cancer and genital warts, then why not?

And no, I don't work for a drug company.

[edweena]

I think it's way too early to mandate this vaccination for every girl. But I don't understand why a parent would be against it if their female children were in good health. If a virginal woman married a non-virginal man, she could get HPV from him during marital relations. If, heaven forbid, a virginal or married woman were raped, at least she would be protected from HPV.

There are plenty of good reasons to advise absinence outside of marriage, but the real world can pose complicated situations. What is the down side of having more protection against cancer?

And who says a nine-year-old needs a blow-by-blow description of how you get exposed to the virus? Can't parents just say it's a vaccine like the one against measles, except this one protects women against cancer?

[Politicalmom]

No, there are exemptions available in every single state. A few only allow medical exemptions, most have religious exemptions, and many allow philosophical exemptions.

[cosine]

Then I take it you don't like antibiotics. Or tetanus, polio, diphtheria, yellow fever, small pox, or HIB vaccines. Or insulin, clotting factor, or anticoagulants, beta blockers, statins, or ACE inhibitors.

Quite often the medical community gets excited because the drugs keep a lot of people from being killed by miserable diseases.

[Politicalmom]

See this link for reported side effects.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1778223/posts?page=70#70

[sarasmom]

If the disease is sexually transmitted,it stands to reason both sexes are vulnerable.
What does HPV do to men?
And where is the vaccine for our sons?
If HPV is a virus, it can mutate. What happens to vaccinated females exposed to potential mutated HPV super strains?

What might the consequences be for my daughters potential future husband if she is vaccinated, but he was not?
All vaccines have a certain percentage of "negative reactions", what are the symptoms and potential long term negative affects for those who will react negatively to the vaccine?
How can anyone claim the vaccine is "safe", and that there are no potential longterm consequences, if no long term clinical trials have been performed?
It is a series of three shots as I understand, so it doesn't appear benign and "totally safe" to me.

I have lots of questions, and I want my answers to contain factual information from the CDC,the FDA, and my daughters personal physician.
I don't care what politicians, special interest groups, and pharmaceutical companies claim to be true.

It sounds good, but no thanks for now.
I am not willing to have my daughter participate in this particular endeavor.
There is no history of cervical cancer in her family background.

[cosine]

And see this link at the FDA which is the vaccine label and describes the frequency of reported adverse conditions in the clinical trials. Note that fainting, arthritis, fever, and autoimmune disorders were also reported by people who received a placebo.

http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer013007LB.pdf

[b9]

Don't children have to have mandatory vaccinations before entering school?

There used to be exemptions available, religious and otherwise.

This book was a tremendous help to us in navigating the turbulent waters of state law.

Confessions of a Medical Heretic by Robert Mendelsohn

http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Medical-Heretic-Robert-Mendelsohn/dp/0809241315

[Hildy]

exactly. Can you imagine any scenario where a girl is thinking about having sex and says to herself..well, I'm vaccinated against HPV, so..WHAT THE HELL!!! It's ludicrous.

[JSDude1]

Agreed, also no one mentions that this "push campaign", which is really a colusion between Government/Political Correctness (liberal fads), and greedy corps whom would rather take special benefits through governmental interference in the market, and liberal politics.

Its really sad when in really I agree with the person whom said that the safest, and most viable answer to HPV/Cancer is Abstinance, sadly because of ~liberals worldview~ THEY WILL ignore this fact, and many will be hurt..

[Catmom]

This vaccine should only be offered voluntarily to women eighteen or older. Just my opinion.

[LongElegantLegs]

I don't like anything being forced on my children by strangers, ESPECIALLY brand-new, rapidly 'tested' wonder drugs that smell like snake oil.
Anyway, sorry for questioning the priesthood...I'll keep my heretical opinions to myself.

[au eagle]

It is expensive and takes three jabs spaced over 6 months

$150 per pop cost to the doc times 3 times = $450 + office visit cost x 3 times = ?. I've got a question for everybody. With all these "cost saving measures" by the insurance companies, has anybody's insurance rate gone down? Or even maintained?

[sully777]

I would like to see scientific data that shows that HPV prevails throughout the female population, including those claiming celebacy and monogamy.

If it can proven that the virus is everywhere and always causes cervical cancers, etc. then the numbers should show it clearly.

Otherwise, Governor Perry and the rest of the pro-vaccine crowd are pushing something unproven with a potential of future risks.

But far be it that scientific reason should reign over desires for power, social engineering, money motive and/or religious dogmatism

[Fluke Codewriter]

In Australia the drug was considered an Optional drug - you want it you pay for it. But, as some complained about the $600 price tag and pushed for it to be Subsidised or made free, it's now on the Free List. Meaning, other people pay for the drug for those who want it. No "Mandatory" stuff here for this drug.

Rubella for girls is mandatory and "free". Though, I think (not sure) it is optional - you don't have to have your daughter have it, but then she doesn't get to go to public school either.

Drugs like this need to be tested over a person's Life time before being able to conclude there is no harm done. Whose to say, you might not get HPV infections, but your liver's ability to function could be compromised. What happens in 15 years time when we have a nation of women coming down with liver failure - or infertility? (Can daughters then sue their parents for making them infertile?)

Nothing might happen. Then again, lots might. Which is why I said the only way to know is with a Life-Term-Length test. Anything else is guess work.

[af_vet_rr]

Otherwise, Governor Perry and the rest of the pro-vaccine crowd are pushing something unproven with a potential of future risks.

Keep in mind, Perry's former chief of staff is a lobbyist for this company, Perry has received contributions from them, and there are other connections. Perry didn't all of the sudden develop an interest in HPV, this is purely driven by cronyism.

[webstersII]

If one wants to vastly lower one's daughter's risk of cervical cancer and genital warts, then why not?

Because all vaccines and medications have side effects, and the potential for side effects should be weighed against the chance of contracting a disease, and also weighed against the potential severity of the disease itself. This one obviously has a pretty severe potential for disease, but the side effects can be pretty severe, too.

For example:
"Syncopal Episodes and Seizures. One-quarter of all reports filed after GARDASIL vaccination were for neurologic adverse events including loss of consciousness, syncope, syncopal events and seizures. An additional five reports included symptoms of dizziness and feeling faint.

Syncope is defined as a temporary suspension of consciousness due to generalized cerebral ischemia (inadequate blood flow and lack of oxygen). The reports of syncopal episodes and their descriptions are remarkable. A physician from Washington State reported that in one morning, three patients experienced syncopal episodes. On August 8th another physician's office reported that two patients experienced syncopal episodes on the same day."

Those are pretty bad side effects. Statistically speaking, they don't happen in alot of cases but they do happen.

[webstersII]

"Perry didn't all of the sudden develop an interest in HPV, this is purely driven by cronyism."

That's sickening. People like that should be thrown out of office and brought up on charges.

[lqclamar]

Bump!