HPV Vaccine
Texas is the first state to mandate that all 11-12 year old girls be given the HPV vaccine before entering 6th grade. HPV is the human papilloma virus which can cause some types of cervical cancer.
Texas Governor Rick Perry signed legislature which mandates all girls get the vaccine of Gardasil which is manufactured by Merck, by the school year 2008. As of right now this is the only vaccine for HPV that has been approved by the FDA.
The shot which is given in three doses over six months, is not 100% effective in all cases and is effective only about five years. Each dose is $120 earning Merck $360 per vaccinated person.
I am not opposed to people being vaccinated if they want to be, I am not opposed to a vaccination that can stop people from transmitting a STD, but I am opposed to mandating a brand new vaccine.
Especially when we know how big Pharma is in bed with the government, including the lobbyist for Merck in Texas who was chief of staff for the Governor from 2002 to 2004.
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) maintains that Merck’s clinical trials did not prove that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, touted as preventing cervical cancer and genital warts, is safe to give to pre-adolescents. “There is too little long term safety and efficacy data, especially in young girls, and too little labeling information on contraindications,? said NVIC president Barbara Loe Fisher.
I want to know what you think. Would you give your daughter this new vaccine? Are you like me and wonder why there isn’t the same vaccine for boys?
HPV vaccine, texas mandates vaccine, Merck, STDs, teenagers, preteens, vaccine safety, vaccines, parenting
February 6th, 2007 at 9:49 am
If I had a girl, yes, I would have her get the vaccine. Sure there should be one for boys as well, and I’m sure some day there will be. But I would hope any parent who would vaccinate against MMR would weigh their options the same for this regardless of the sex-specific nature of the current vaccine.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I’m all for this vaccine. Do we need a law requiring it? Apparently, we do, since I’ve seen so many parents not get children the healthcare they need, even with insurance.
February 6th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
I believe that vaccines that will prevent disease are great. I do not agree with making this vaccine mandatory at this time, not without further testing. The governor’s motivations certainly do not feel pure of heart to me.
February 6th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Winnie, that is exactly how I feel. There is just soemthing so fishy about this brand new vaccine being required by law.
February 6th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I’d be all for the vaccine EXCEPT for the fact that it’s brand new. Too many vaccines are later recalled and found to cause problems. I prefer a good track record before injecting my child with anything. Awfully convenient too that Merck gets such a nice little profit with every shot.
February 7th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
No. This vaccine has not been tested sufficiently and some of the side effects reported have been seizure and loss of conscienceness. There is also no data to show that this vaccine will last for any sufficient length of time. Quite frankly it has just not been studied to my satisfaction.
February 7th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Funny thing… My daughter is going in for this vaccine next week. And I was the mom who let her get chicken pox instead of the (at the time) new vaccine. I don’t agree with requiring the vaccine by law… But in our house, we’re opting for it. (My daughter, btw, is 13.)
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:20 am
[...] HPV Vaccine Adverse Reactions February 22nd, 2007 by Erinn I had already discussed the mandated HPV vaccine in Texas, but now there is some new information. [...]
February 23rd, 2007 at 6:31 pm
My MIL called our house just the other day to try to start arguing with this subject. My husband who really didn’t care either way other then not thinking it should be mandated especially for the reason they are using here ended up along with me looking up all kinds of statistics. What we both found is it looks like this vaccine is only for one form of cervical cancer. Therefore, a women can get cervical cancer from other things then HPV. I don’t have a problem so much with the vaccine other then no one can tell me what might happen to my girls (I have 3) in the long run. What I do care about is HAVING to give my daughters this when they are 10-12 to prevent HPV which MAY cause cervical cancer. Also if HPV is passed along in both sexes then the vaccine needs to be for both and at an older age. After calculating it my oldest who is 8 1/2 would have to get this in two years while she is still in elementary and my stepdaughter who is 13 1/2 will be in High School this coming fall and will not have had it. Which one do you think will really be sexually active first. (according to their dad none they are all going to convents lol!)
If the come back with something just for cervical cancer then I’ll be more for it. BTW, the next day on the news it talked about the nice big donation Merck made. Something smells fishy there.
February 28th, 2007 at 10:49 am
[...] HPV Vaccine February 28th, 2007 by Gayle The debate over the vaccine for human papillomavirus(HPV) rages on. I haven’t joined the fray until now, mainly because my fellow 451 Press blogger, Erinn over at Parenting Our Children has had a couple of recent posts on it, and I didn’t want our blogs to overlap. Today, however, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the Georgia state senate approved a bill yesterday which would require that girls in Georgia who are entering the sixth grade be vaccinated against HPV. As a resident of Georgia, I decided it was past time for me to enter the fray. [...]
November 8th, 2007 at 9:35 am
[...] Information by Erinn I am on the fence about vaccinations. I have written about them before and although I do vaccinate my children, I do it on my own schedule and I always [...]
December 13th, 2007 at 10:48 am
[...] is a quote from Dr. Furhman, from the Eat to Live book on these mandatory vaccines that are popping up: “It seems that lawmakers do not understand that freedom should include [...]
March 14th, 2008 at 10:26 am
[...] it is an uncomfortable subject, but one that has to be brought up for the sake of our children. Many STDs have no symptoms and can cause infertility, cancer and some are not curable at [...]
June 12th, 2008 at 9:05 am
[...] of a profit. This country RUNS on drug company money. There are inter-office memos from the 1970s from Merck stating that they know that mercury is dangerous to use in vaccines. If the government thinks [...]
July 8th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
[...] I have written before about how I think Gardasil is basically just a way for Merck to earn more mone…. I don’t believe in making a vaccine, like Gardasil which was brand new on the market, required for all teens. Now nearly 8,000 reports of adverse reactions to the Gardasil vaccine have been filed with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since June 2006. [...]