[Marie]

As a new citizen of Texas, I'm *really* irritated with our governor for signing an executive order stating that all our girls must be vaccinated with this drug.

My main argument against mandatory vaccination with Gardasil has always been with the fact that it’s so new. I don't care how careful the FDA is; new side effects are found when a drug hits the masses. Sometimes they're not so bad. Sometimes they're devastating.

Parents and their children's doctors should be the ones to make the decision for our girls. Heck, at least run it through the state legislature!

[CedarDave]

Parents and their children's doctors should be the ones to make the decision for our girls. Heck, at least run it through the state legislature!

Gordon Liddy today agreed; called it the "slut shot" because by mandating it for all young girls it assumed they would all become sexually active as young teens.

[Old_Mil]

when the reality is that almost all cases of HPV- associated cervical cancer can be prevented with annual pap screening of girls who are sexually active.

This is, in fact a lie.

Annual pap smears hope to catch cervical cancer before it becomes a nasty, invasive, metastatic disease. They in no way prevent the disease, nor are they perfect.

[Getready]

Another major issue is that it only protects against 4 of
the 16 major variants of the virus...they are the 4 most
prevalent at this time, but if everyone is "xxxxxxx" everyone
else, cause they think they are safe, then soon enough,
the other 12 variants will show up...
Why don't they make it mandatory not to pass the virus on,
and if you do, you go to jail..and pay the persons
medical bills? How about that for "mandatoriness"?

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

ping - my friend

[isthisnickcool]

There was no coronation of Rick Perry and it may come as a surprise to Mr. Perry but he is neither prince or king. The citizens of Texas are not his property. Mr. Perry is obviously seriously lacking in common sense or is just outright stupid as a rock when it comes to understanding that people are not without rights. The liberties and freedoms of parents and their children in Texas are not Mr. Perry's to mess with. He apparently thinks people are cattle and he demands to brand them. Outrageous.

You and I have the ability and the dignity and the right to make our own decisions and determine our own destiny. -- RONALD REAGAN

[Brucifer]

But Rick Perry... doesn't he have good hair? He must be a good governor with hair like that.

[ConservaTexan]

Seems like Gardasil may not be as safe as Merck & CO., Inc. are claiming. It is sounding more like VIOXX by the minute. At the least it should be tested further, before we begin assaulting little girls with it.

[Revel]

"As a new citizen of Texas, I'm *really* irritated with our governor for signing an executive order stating that all our girls must be vaccinated with this drug."

So are you going to do it?

[SamuraiScot]

In its product manufacturer insert, Merck states that "Vaccination does not substitute for routine cervical cancer screening. Women who receive GARDASIL should continue to undergo cervical cancer screening per standard of care." Merck also states that "The duration of immunity following a complete schedule of immunization with GARDASIL has not been established."

This says it all. They don't know jack about this product for the use described (young girls). Merck has been a company in trouble for several years, and they've hired lobbyists to make this product mandatory in as many places as possible to get them over the hump.

Funny. Pfizer didn't have to pay anyone to get Viagra made mandatory to make a bundle on it . . .

[MEGoody]

Parents and their children's doctors should be the ones to make the decision for our girls.

Exactly. This is a concept many can't seem to grasp.

[Jim Noble]

Would it change your mind if it were free and proven safe?

The issue is the government saying, "We know your little girls are going to be promiscuous", NOT the cost and NOT the safety profile.

[mo]

The vaccine is made by Merck.....I wonder how much the donated to the good governor's re-elction campaign.......