Perry orders anti-cancer vaccine for schoolgirls

Houston Chronicle/AP ^ | Feb. 2, 2007 | LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON

[YCTHouston]

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry ordered today that schoolgirls in Texas must be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, making Texas the first state to require the shots.

The girls will have to get Merck & Co.'s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass laws in state legislatures across the country mandating it Gardasil vaccine for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators around the country.

Details of the order were not immediately available, but the governor's office confirmed to The Associated Press that he was signing the order and he would comment Friday afternoon.

Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, his former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.

Toomey was expected to be able to woo conservative legislators concerned about the requirement stepping on parent's rights and about signaling tacit approval of sexual activity to young girls. Delisi, as head of the House public health committee, which likely would have considered legislation filed by a Democratic member, also would have helped ease conservative opposition.

Perry also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.

It wasn't immediately clear how long the order would last and whether the legislation was still necessary. However it could have been difficult to muster support from lawmakers who champion abstinence education and parents' rights.

Perry, a conservative Christian who opposes abortion rights and stem-cell research using embryonic cells, counts on the religious right for his political base.

But he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no different than the one that protects children against polio.

"If there are diseases in our society that are going to cost us large amounts of money, it just makes good economic sense, not to mention the health and well being of these individuals to have those vaccines available," he said.

Texas allows parents to opt out of inoculations by filing an affidavit stating that he or she objected to the vaccine for religious or philosophical reasons.

Even with such provisions, however, conservative groups say mandates take away parents' rights to be the primary medical decision maker for their children.

The federal government approved Gardasil in June, and a government advisory panel has recommended that all girls get the shots at 11 and 12, before they are likely to be sexually active.

The New Jersey-based drug company could generate billions in sales if Gardasil — at $360 for the three-shot regimen — were made mandatory across the country. Most insurance companies now cover the vaccine, which has been shown to have no serious side effects.

Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore would not say how much the company is spending on lobbyists or how much it has donated to Women in Government. Susan Crosby, the group's president, also declined to specify how much the drug company gave.

A top official from Merck's vaccine division sits on Women in Government's business council, and many of the bills around the country have been introduced by members of Women in Government.

[lqclamar]

Now, we can get down to banning State funds for unethical stem cell research.

...yeah, while the government forces 11 year olds to get vaccinated for genital warts.

[Jedidah]

"Where, in the Texas Constitution, does Perry derive this authority from.?"

You realize, don't you, that the Texas Constitution rivals the federal tax code in length and indecipherability.

Indecipherability. Is that a word? You get my drift. The Texas constitution is a magnificent mess. That's why we have to vote on constitutional amendments every general election.

[ajolympian2004]

This is happening here in Colorado too.

Here is the latest Rocky Mountain News coverage on this story in Colorado.

Cancer vaccine takes heavy shots
Opponents decry bill making immunization mandatory for girls

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5319713,00.html

[Orange1998]

I think he is trying to be a comedian. I did get a slight chuckle out of it though.

[DBrow]

Why just the girls? If HPV can be spread by males too, spread to females, why not vaccinate them too? The males can spread it to unvaccinated females.

Then you'd keep male-to-male transmission low, too!

[af_vet_rr]

Did the Guv just call all Texan girls sluts?

That's what my neighbor across the street thinks. I don't know that she knew about the opt-out part, but she was furious. My wife casually asked her about it when we were putting up our trash and recycling bins tonight and she swore when she said Perry's name (I've known this women for several years, and she's always had some kind of Perry/Bush bumper sticker on her car and I've never heard her swear).

Her conclusion was that Perry screwed up raising his kids, and thinks everybody else was a lousy parent to, and said she would pull her kids out of school if Perry tries to force this on everybody.

We didn't even try to correct her interpretation of it or ask her for her source - we just tried to change the subject because she was visibly angry.

The good news is - we know about Perry's connections to this company, both through his former chief of staff, campaign contributions, and through his mother. That's stuff that he can't put back in the bottle.

It's also good news that a lot of Conservatives are finding their backbones and saying "wait a minute, that's not your job to be trying to dictate such things".

[af_vet_rr]

I honestly believe that Perry's VP chances crashed when he couldn't even win a majority of the vote against three dingbat candidates last fall.

It was very pathetic. He pretty much scared any would-be Presidential contender away when he couldn't even get a majority against a bunch of independents and a democrat (and you talk about some characters that he ran against).

and there's a tremendous amount of grass-roots ire toward Perry on a number of issues.

Yeah, between the toll roads and the corridor, a lot of people are not happy with him (and it did show in the election). This has made things many times worse.

All of these things that he's doing that's upsetting people - sure, they are making his financial contributors happy, but all that money does you no good when you cause problems for other Republicans in the future, or find yourself wondering why nobody is calling you to be their running mate or Secretary of Whatever.

[spikeytx86]

As someone with a sister who has reproductive problems and has risks for cervical cancer among others I resent you calling cervical cancer an STD. Yes you can get it from being promiscuous but you can also get it for a host of other reasons. I don't see the need for a mandate, but I don't think it's an awful thing either.

[Politicalmom]

I am so lucky. I have had several emergency room visits, and have requested the tetanus-only shot for my children. The ER doctors COULD have given me trouble, but one even said that they thought I was making a good decision not vaccinating.

I wasn't able to use my regular pediatrician for my youngest until now (She's 4), because I wouldn't be forced into "well baby" checkups(ie vaccination advertisements).

[hocndoc]

The vaccine works to cause immunity against 4 viruses:

The problem is not the "warts." The viruses that cause the big ugly viruses don't cause pre-cancerous changes and cancer. It's the ones that don't make big masses that cause the trouble.

The Gardasil patient information is available at:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/travel/16469716.htm


"HPV also causes genital warts (condyloma acuminata) which are growths of the cervicovaginal,
vulvar, and the external genitalia that rarely progress to cancer. HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 are common HPV
types.
HPV 16 and 18 cause approximately:
• 70% of cervical cancer, AIS, CIN 3, VIN 2/3, and VaIN 2/3 cases; and
• 50% of CIN 2 cases.
HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 cause approximately:
• 35 to 50% of all CIN 1, VIN 1, and VaIN 1 cases; and
• 90% of genital wart cases."

[YCTHouston]

The drug treats genital warts, hence the reference to STDs. From your sister's problems, you know as well as anyone that cervical cancer is not caused 100% by the STD, which is why Rick Perry's rationale for this order is such a stretch.

[hocndoc]

The evidence is that women with precancerous changes or cancer have had the virulent forms of cervical cancer.

Have you seen this article:
Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

[hocndoc]

And then, on their wedding night, they catch it from their new mate. 3 years later, they're getting laser or freezing. Then the girls get to have a premature baby or two.

Read what the docs at Christian Medical and Dental Association are saying:

http://cmda.org/index.cgi?cat=100115&art=3241&BISKIT=3585781921&CONTEXT=art

[genxer]

CAn someone tell me when we are going to start the recall election. Gov. Zoolander needs to be recalled as soon as possible

[af_vet_rr]

The Democrats in Texas love this:

"This is not a political issue," Moody said. "This is an issue of women's health." State Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, author of a bill proposing a required HPV vaccine for girls, said Perry's order is "terrific news." "A big chunk of my work is done," said Farrar, who said she had precancerous cells removed a few years ago after having an abnormal Pap smear. "I'm very excited he's made this such a priority. This is going to save so many lives. This is going to wipe out a cancer."

Not surprising the Democrats love it when the government tries to get in between parents and their children..

[metmom]

The vaccine, called Gardasil, targets human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18, thought to cause 70% of cervical cancers, and HPV types 6 and 11, associated with 90% of genital warts cases. Up to 70% of sexually active women will become infected with HPV, which clears up on its own more than nine times out of 10. Lasting infection causes virtually all cervical cancers. In April, the researchers suggested that the vaccine might be most effective in 10- to 13-year-olds, who are not likely to be infected with HPV.

OK, so why should this be mandated then? Offered? Yes. Required? No.

[genxer]

I too want proof in 20 years. Look at the autism out break. When i was a child it was 100,000-1 now its 105-1. Furthermore therisol build-up is the culprit. They mandate shots for things like chiken pox...Most people have chicken pox, you don't die from it why vaccinate against it.

This type stuff makes me nuts.

[lqclamar]

And then, on their wedding night, they catch it from their new mate.

Which is why they should consider getting the vaccine when they are mature adults (or, alternatively, get the fiance tested for it) sometime before the wedding IF THEY SO CHOOSE.

And I frankly don't care what an allegedly Christian medical group is saying about it. I care what conservatives are saying, what pro life groups are saying (http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/feb/07020204.html), and what common sense says about the distinction between right and wrong. UNNECESSARY forced STD vaccination of 9 year olds is fundamentally immoral and unchristian, regardless of how saintly you may think this Perry bozo is.

[metmom]

It is not going to *wipe out cancer*. It's supposed to prevent some cases of a certain type of cancer.

[af_vet_rr]

It is not going to *wipe out cancer*. It's supposed to prevent some cases of a certain type of cancer.

That's my point - the Democrats who are supporting Perry on this are claiming it's going to "wipe out cancer".

Not only is this a huge government intrusion into parental rights, but lies are being told about it, by his supporters, in order to justify the intrusion.