Posted on 09/15/2011 9:55:39 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Heather Burcham died in 2007 when she was 31. Cervical cancer killed her. She was misdiagnosed at age 26, and by the time she knew she had cancer, it was too late for effective treatment.
But she changed lives by living hers so passionately.
She was deeply religious, quick-witted, loving, with a quirky sense of humor; and she was determined to save other young women. Her passion for a cause made her a "Person of the Week" on ABC's "World News" program in 2007. Heather likely would have been shouting from the rooftops in frustration, listening to the current political debate about the HPV vaccine.
For her, the HPV vaccine was about saving lives, not politics, not campaign donations. She probably would have been heartbroken to hear Texas Gov. Rick Perry backtrack from his commitment to have girls vaccinated against cervical cancer.
Perry made her the poster child for his HPV executive decision, and spoke eloquently at her funeral. What a difference four years later as he debates the topic with other Republican candidates.
Her words to ABC News in 2007 still resonate, in light of the current debate in which this one face of the disease has been lost amid the political rhetoric.
"I don't want to have died in vain," she said. "I don't want my life to have no purpose whatsoever, and if I can help spread the word about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine, then I haven't lived in vain."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
So did the ability to opt-out.
I haven't done any sort of rigorous search for data, but found "Persistent HPV infections are now recognized as the cause of essentially all cervical cancers" at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/HPV. I think the 70% figure is that Gardasil targets HPV types 16 and 18, and these two types are present at a 70% rate, in that 4,000.
How much sexual activity did one need to be classified as “sexually active”?
At 50 years of age, did any sexual activity in life render one “sexually active”?
Sexually active doesn’t translate as sexually promiscuous.
It seems that 80% of women would benefit from this vaccine, it is hardly something that ‘only some people need’.
It seems that the majority of people who wish to not be lifelong virgins could use it.
How many people do you suppose, at age 50, are not “sexually active”?
Well, that was a nice little rant, but Gardisil does not have a black box death warning.
I’m sorry if I upset you by pointing out your lack of knowledge on this matter, but perhaps you shouldn’t offer opinions on this subject when you lack even a basic understanding of the processes of the FDA.
One of us is missing something. I see a fifty percent figure above, but no eighty percent figure.
That's not the way it works. To make spectacular claims that accuse someone else of wrongdoing, you have to have evidence.
And it's obvious you don't know what the term Luddite means, but your continued use of the word has become entertaining.
9 people have claimed a death due to HPV vaccine, as of a few days ago.
http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/statisticsreports.html#Claims
Now historically injury and death claims have been shown false about 3 to 1 but let us use the claims as the risk number, more conservative that way.
More than 35 million does of gardasil have been given out.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/hpv/gardasil.html
So consider the incident of death 9 per 35,000,000 or about 26 per hundred million.
Now we get over 4,000 deaths per year, every year, for cervical cancer. Since we only can vaccinate for 70% of the causes we will use 70% of the deaths = 2,800.
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/statistics/
There are were 156,958,212 women in the 2010 census. Now this includes many who would not be at risk but lets count them all, it makes a more conservative estimate, leaning more towards your claim.
http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf
So we have 2,800 per 156,958,212 or 1,783 per hundred million per year of deaths.
It has only been proved to protect for 5 years, it might be a lifetime, but let us use 5 years. That makes 8,915 per hundred million.
So the occurrence of death by the strains of HPV protected by the vaccine are at least 342 times greater than the vaccine. I know it is much more than that, but for every assumption or rounding, we went in favor of your claim.
Your comment implies that all cervical cancers caught earlier can be cured.My comment implies she died from poor medical care. She went to four different doctors, made an emergency room visit, and had multiple pap smears indicating cancer. Once a doctor makes a diagnosis all following doctors will support it no matter how wrong it is.They are not. Too many die even when caught early and get the most effective forms of treatment.
But those that don't get cancer in the first place, don't die from cancer. The vaccine isn't 100% effective, but it is nearly 100%.
Well done.
We must never forget that the greatest enemy we have on this forum is misinformation.
You may well believe what you believe and think you have an obligation to preach your beliefs. However, your beliefs have NOT withstood the sands of time.
I know full well what the term Luddite means, and why it is used against others as in a self serving holier than thou RIDICULE. I also know that the TOE has destroyed the moral fiber and fabric of this nation. Teaching little children for decades they are animals is not a 'surprise' they act like animals.
“I doubt you even know the meaning of the term but you’re the fool claiming HPV gets spread through causal contact with laundry.”
Actually, it can get spread by washing your skivvies in the same washer as a person who had an active infection.
I know this because I own several coin-op laundries and get the bullitens. You have to be very careful with water temp or risk getting sued.
And it’s not just HPV.
“Why didn’t Perry mandate flu shots?”
Because the he had no legal authority outside schools.
And you’re point is? What does that have to do with my post? I simply remarked that the true RINO was not attacked...
Absurd really.
Of course she has the right to speak out. But she’s a private citizen that nearly has a bully pulpit. Up until the race got serious, she used it wisely.
Why don't you show a little integrity and shut your damn mouth.
In his heavy handed approach and rush to put it in place, he almost certainly delayed many who would have gotten this vaccine through the normal process. At least 20 other states since 2007 have had pending legislation or similar methods in place trying to add this vaccine to the list of their required vaccines.
Most likely, the politics of his executive order increased the push back against the vaccine in other states, as well as in Texas.
Even if you assume it was done for good intentions, and I recognize money and paybacks might have been a part of it, the result of the executive order almost certainly delayed or prevented many from taking the vaccine.
His action earned him criticism.
You can argue against if the vaccine should ever be on a required list, even with the broad based opt out program in Texas.
But the false arguments against the vaccine I've seen many claim is incredible.
Bachmann had no basis to make the claim. The claim is false.
Case closed.
You can mumble about the theory of evolution all you want, but it is not applicable to the discussion.
Luddites were rightly ridiculed because they opposed industrial progress. Once again, completely irrelevant to this discussion.
Are claims of Gardisil causing mental retardation a part of that Judicial Watch report?
I actually heard an unmarried pregnant girl say that is how she got pregnant. That was back in the 50's. LOL!
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