Posted on 09/17/2011 3:24:41 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Candidates who bring the HPV vaccine into the political arena are playing with fire.
You and I are just getting to know one another. While I’ve been writing a twice-weekly opinion column for Wilton Patch for the last year, and readers there are more familiar with where I stand on many things, this “Patch In” column is only in its third week. I thought we’d take it slow.
Earlier this week someone sent me the link to an editorial in the Wall Street Journal. It was about GOP presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann’s recent comments about the human papillomavirus (or HPV) vaccine that she made during the recent campaign debates. My friend thought it would make good fodder for a column, and knew I’d be interested in the subject.
I was a little hesitant to write about it in this forum. Heck, it’s still early in our relationship and you’re just getting to know bits and pieces about where I stand on certain issues and what my life philosophies are. And isn’t this issue really more of a national one, since it’s taking place on the presidential campaign stages rather than right here in Fairfield County?
But then I remembered: We have children here in Fairfield County too.
Because, truly, what’s at the heart of the brouhaha, and what’s getting forgotten in favor of presidential politics and soundbites, are children.
Backtracking a little to explain, Rep. Bachmann has gone on the attack against Texas governor Rick Perry for the 2007 move he made in his state issuing an executive order mandating sixth-grade girls receive a vaccine against HPV. Assuming her intent was to characterize Perry’s action as creating legislation without approval from the state’s legislative body, Bachmann fired off this soundbite during the debate:
“To have innocent little 12 year old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat-out wrong.”
After the debate was concluded, she also asserted that HPV vaccines cause “mental retardation.”
I think you and I are going to get to know one another much faster than I first thought.
Political affiliations aside, what’s most concerning to me is how science and health—specifically the health of female children—is now so politicized. Someone has taken a medical issue that’s backed by scientific research and fact, and hijacked it for the purpose of political attack, spin and polling points.
What are the medical facts? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV causes virtually all cases of cervical cancer and genital warts, in addition to being linked to other kinds of cancers and diseases. While there are multiple strains of HPV, and not all of them directly cause cancer, cervical cancer is still the second leading cancer-killer of women worldwide.
HPV is also the most common sexually transmitted disease today.
A-ha! Is that what makes this issue hot and—pardon the media parlance pun—sexy? Because somehow when the topic of “innocent little 12 year old girls” gets mixed up with protecting them from a virus that gets transmitted through sexual contact, it suddenly gets to be co-opted by politicians on the basis of protecting moral values—and it gets them airtime.
In full disclosure, I grew up in a household that was comfortable talking about science, medicine and fact. My dad is an OBGYN, so we weren’t afraid of using correct anatomical terminology or talking about human sexuality. It’s formed the basis for the way I approach issues like this one.
The science shows that in order for this vaccine to work it needs to be administered before a person becomes sexually active. According to a statement released by the American Academy of Pediatrics following the media uproar after Bachmann’s comments, they “recommend that girls receive [the] HPV vaccine around age 11 or 12. That’s because this is the age at which the vaccine produces the best immune response in the body, and because it’s important to protect girls well before the onset of sexual activity.”
That recommendation was echoed by the CDC and American Academy of Family Physicians.
Please note, it was me who italicized the statement’s words “well before” to emphasize that science isn’t encouraging little girls to start being sexually active earlier. Knowing that’s been the objection for some opposed to this vaccine, I wanted to make the demarcation between science and morality even clearer.
Let's continue with the facts, especially with regard to Bachmann's baseless assertion about the effects of giving the vaccine, and add what the AAP had to say:
"The American Academy of Pediatrics would like to correct false statements made in the Republican presidential campaign that HPV vaccine is dangerous and can cause mental retardation. There is absolutely no scientific validity to this statement. Since the vaccine has been introduced, more than 35 million doses have been administered, and it has an excellent safety record."
Legislation concerning vaccines and immunizations is written at the state level. Currently there are no laws on Connecticut books about anything having to do with HPV—at all. Shortly after it was recommended at the federal level in 2006 that girls aged 11 and 12 receive routine vaccinations, several states—including Connecticut—began debate on it. Nothing has passed our legislatures, however, as of 2007, the last year anything on HPV was brought up for discussion. (The CT Department of Health does have a fact sheet on HPV.)
Health and vaccine policy does get set by government, especially when it protects the lives of the public against epidemics—think chicken pox, measles, and many others. There’s usually nothing compulsory and parents have the right to make an ultimate choice to opt out, as was the case in Texas (although Gov. Perry’s executive order was ultimately overturned by his legislature).
It doesn’t need to be an issue that gets divvied up based on political party. Just look at Virginia, where a state mandate for the HPV vaccine was passed with the support of politicians in both parties. Chris Stolle, a Republican state delegate there told the Huffington Post, "I'm a conservative Republican and I certainly do believe in limited government and limited interference of government into our lives. As we look at the function of government, I would put number one as being to protect its citizens. I think that a vaccination program for a disease that's epidemic falls very clearly within the realms of a small limited government."
What is unfortunately lost in this debate is the opportunity for the politicians to use science to enlighten and protect. The resulting costs from such a fatal disease—impacting families, hospitals, insurers, and society—is a potentially too high a price to pay.
Instead, code words and push-button fear messages get bandied about, furthering the campaign at the expense of some of our youngest citizens, playing political roulette with our daughters’ lives.
Gardasil has been banned in many countries overseas, including India and Spain. But not here, not in the good ‘ol capitalistic “pay and play” government of the United States!!!!!
(just prior to Greta's interview with Michele Bachmann on HPV vaccine and crony capitalism).
“Banned”? Do you have a link for that comment?
Anita: The nurse Rick Perry wants with him in the White House [excerpt] In a July interview with the Salem Radio Network, Gov. Perry said his wife was inspiring him to "get out of his comfort zone" and run for president because she was "disheartened" with the administration "healthcare-wise.""Her father is an old country doctor," Perry said, "and she sees the demise of really quality healthcare and being able to take care of people like they need to be taken care of in this country and the innovations that have occurred in medicine."
Anita Thigpen Perry, 59, has a bachelor's degree in nursing from West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M University) and a master's degree in nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Texas Tech University's School of Nursing was renamed in her honor in 2008.
She worked as a nurse for 17 years in numerous settings, including surgery, pediatrics, intensive care administration and teaching. That experience adds credibility to her criticism of the federal healthcare law, a welcome asset for Perry as he struggles to explain why more than a quarter of Texans don't have health insurance - the highest rate in the nation.
Anita Perry’s childhood was spent “making house calls with her dad,” Texas Tech University Chancellor Kent Hance told The Hill. “Healthcare is a big issue to her and her dad being a doctor – a country doctor – she certainly has a lot of opinions that were formed even at an early age over healthcare.” [end excerpt]
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once a fan and donor to bachmann,
now she’s irritating me.
You only need to use your search engine to find the Times of India and other news sources reporting that in April 2010 after four deaths occurred in girls who had been vaccinated that use of Gardasil was suspended and the government banned it. Ditto Spain. Other countries, too, where Big Pharma doesn’t rule what happens in health care.
Bump
Yes it’s a LIE.
But what is even more troubling is that Bachmann would go to the national media with the lie and try to present it as fact. she didn’t get the woman’s name. No one can seem to id her. No witness to the remark has come forward.
Is that the kind of Prez you want, someone that doesn’t need facts or truth. Just whatever “someone” tells her on the rope line. Heaven help us if she gets in office.
So, you made the comment, but you can’t back it up. Gotcha.
She said a woman told her that their daughter suffered mental retardation as a result. Are you saying there was no woman who told her that?"I read to that point. As far as I know that was an outright lie."It isn't a lie:5 posted on 09/17/2011 3:50:19 AM PDT by Flag_This"Appearing on Fox News after the debate, Bachmann recounted a conversation with a woman in the audience. 'There’s a woman who came up crying to me tonight after the debate. She said her daughter was given that vaccine,' Bachmann said. 'She told me her daughter suffered mental retardation as a result . . .' "
That is essentially the same thing as Bush saying the British told him Saddam was seeking yellow cake from Niger and then everyone calling Bush a liar... Never mind that they did tell him that and said as much . . .
Up to that point, you are absolutely correct. But then she went further,"There are very dangerous consequences.'”
At that point, Bachmann crossed a line from strict reporting of a statement she had heard, and went into her own editorializing.When she concludes from the anecdote that the vaccine in fact is dangerous, she is going into the realm of scientific probabilities, and she is responsible for her statement. Anyone who thinks that the belief in a causal relation between the vaccine and those "serious consequences" is a typical bunch of pseudoscientific twaddle (of the sort which journalism would love in any other context) will draw unfavorable conclusions about Ms Bachmann's judgement.
Hannity has had Michele on and asked her about this and he looked disappointed too in her lack of response for facts. Jay Leno asked her the same question last night. People are seeing that this is so untrue what she is saying and questioning it and getting none answers back.
Oh, I certainly can back it up but am not going to do research for you! These issues are very well known, even if you seem unaware. If you love Perry as a candidate, you ought to drop the Gardasil discussion. Merck was hoping to make up its lost Vioxx profits on this shot, and it hasn’t happened, so you — and Perry — really don’t have a dog in the fight, really.
Did you ever think that maybe this woman didn’t want the media attention? I sure wouldn’t with all you people waiting in the wings to go after her.
I disgusted with the way people around here are treating Ms. Bachmann after all she’s done for the party just because they have a new shiny toy in Rick Perry.
Oh, I understand. You say whatever you choose, but decline to offer evidence that what you is is actually true. It’s up to everyone else to prove what you say is not true.
And don’t bother to tell me what I should and should not discuss. Unless, of course, you’re Barack Obama’s Internet censor.
OOOOh, Clara Lou, how DID you discover my role as Barack Obama’s Internet Censor? You are so smart!
You make no sense at all. No one forced Bachmann to say what she did. No one. There is absolutely no proof of this “ woman” that supposedly talked to Michele. And as a Lawyer Michele knows proof is everything for backing up things like this especially. Michele could stop any time she likes in repeating the lie she is telling and she has not so far. I feel sorry for Bachmann that she has to stoop this low to try to win which she will not. She could have done it on all the great things she has done. But she took the lowest road of all.....lies.
Amen. Good thing no one told her Martians were about to land. "But someone just TOLD me!"
There is a DEFINITE compelling state interest in vaccinations to stop widespread disease REGARDLESS of how it is spread.
Cervical cancer is a really horrendous form of cancer—and can be greatly reduced or possibly eliminated by this vaccine. It’s in the interest of everyone that the next generation be healthy—even the 55% who sin sexually in High School. The vaccine has no scientifically provable harm to the sexually pure....so I really do not understand what the fuss is about.
This is a medical and social issue, NOT political....unless of course you’re a wing-nut who opposes mandating childhood vaccinations.
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