I read with interest this week and Associated Press story about how Merck, maker of Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, is funding measures in various states to mandate the vaccine for middle school girls. From literature I’ve read, the vaccine, which received FDA approval in June 2006, prevents only cervical cancer resulting from having multiple sex partners, which could also be prevented by limiting the number of one’s partners or by using condoms. Also, it is most effective administered to young girls, preferably before they become sexually active (although you wouldn’t know that from the Gardasil ad). But how, as someone said to me today, is a parent to know if his or her 11-year-old is going to grow up to be a slut? Finally, side effects of the vaccine have only been tracked for five years, not nearly enough to know long-term side effects.
In Illinois, Rep. Naomi Jakobsson (D [of course] -Urbana) has the dubious honor of having introduced a bill mandating the vaccine. Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), is a co-sponsor and a Women in Government state director. Women in Government received an undisclosed contribution from Merck for its assistance in helping get legislation passed.
Merck, who also gave us Vioxx, stands to make millions and perhaps billions on the $360, three-shot vaccine and the government stands poised to take away yet one more choice, sticking its collective nose in a matter best left to parents.
I think it is very rude to assume anyone who has multiple sex partners is a slut. Saying such things makes your article seem very unreliable.
To my knowledge, the clinical studies were only done on 16 to 26 year olds. How, then can anyone say the vaccine is ok for 11 year olds? We are talking about the future mothers of America. They certainly deserve more than a partial five year evaluation. Please do not allow anyone to possibly jeopardize these girls with a mandated treatment that “may prevent” cervical cancer. Parents and guardians need to be brave enough to delay these shots until the medication is proven effective and harmless. And young women making their own decisions need to read the fine print, and also delay the shots until they’re more fully tested and the review period is much longer than 5 years.