Good question. My only comment to that would be there is very little difference, except there are some out there wanting to make gardasil a requirement.
And they have succeeded in places. Virginia requires it for girls entering 6th grade, which my daughter will be doing in September. However, we will be opting her out of the vaccine, as is permitted under the requirement law.
And that is exactly the point. There was talk here in Arkansas soon after this vaccination was introduced, about adding it to the required vaccinations for students in school (female, of course). There was a good bit of outrage at even suggesting it.
I, for one, am also adamantly against mandating this shot, and while I can understand the stated purpose of vaccinating teen girls, I look at this as just another case of "give 'em condoms - cause they are gonna DO IT anyway" mentality.
I find it so interesting that you rarely hear exactly what kind of bug this vaccination is designed to prevent... it is a virus that is transmitted nearly completely by... drum roll please.... sexual contact with an infected partner.
While I do not wish death or serious illness on ANYONE, we also need to remember that there is a cost to every decision we make, regardless of that age.
Since childbirth is also a danger to a teen girl's health, we might as well start mandating regular dosing of RU-482 as well... would sure cut down the teen pregnancy rate, thus saving lives, preventing unwanted and "unnecessary" pregnancies, and would save $billions in taxes.
And while we are on the subject of government-mandated health issues. How about we immediately begin weighing school children. Those who are judged to be in danger of obesity, or are obese - lets put them on a regimented diet plan. If they fail to shed the extra pounds, then take them from their families and put them in fat schools where the children will live, exercise, and get their indoctrin....uh.... education. When the child gets down to the government determined "normal" weight, they will get supervised home visits with their families. Only after it is determined that the parents are not likely to fatten the children back up can they move back in. But agents.....errr.... social workers will closely monitor the child for any sudden weight gain.
And then we can take the next logical step. We should go ahead and separate the "special" students into their own environment. Those who show that they can still perform some form of menial productive task for society will be trained to do those specific jobs. Those who are ruled to be unable to contribute to society - will be euthan.....errrr.... taken care of in a special facility. Because all who consume must contribute to the collective...errr......ummm.... should contribute cheerfully to the well-being of society.
Obviously this post is full of hyperbolic sarcastic idiocy (to put it nicely) - yet why is it that some are so willing to jump on every government suggested bandwagon for the "good of the children"? I can't help but think that Adolf Hitler used similar ideas to get the people to swallow his "perfect master race" scheme. He didn't just one day say - OK - death to all Jews and any others we deem inferior, death to mentally handicapped, mandatory testing before you can have children. Those with superior characteristics will be expected to have many children - all for the good of Mother Germany. NO - just like any psychopathic plan that should otherwise outrage an even moderately reasonable human - it is implemented in chunks, bits, and pieces. All with a seemingly reasonable goal or purpose stated.
How about the government go away and let parents raise their children. Hold people to high expectations, and hold them responsible for their decisions. If a parent chooses to have their daughter given this injection - then that parent should also be aware of the consequences of that decision.
Bad statistics.....
See post 63