Posted on 02/02/2007 1:28:44 PM PST by 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.
I wish some clever FReeper would post pictures of Kerry and Perry side by side and let us caption about their similarities. LOL
I agree with you. As the mother of a 10 year old daughter, I can tell you that my child will NOT be getting this vaccine until there has been more research on it. Gov. Perry can shove his "mandate."
And you condone the government mandating females must be vaccinated? Heil Hitler
There is no test for HPV in males. The only indication would be external warts. The way that it is detected in females is an abnormal pap smear.
You learn the facts. If memory serves me correctly isn't it Merck who gave us Vioxx? Maybe you have been "retired" too long. There have been no studies done on the effects of this vaccine on all age groups of females and it assumes that young females will all be sexually active. That is an assumption I am not willing to have made by the state. As I said in another post if you want the government to control parental choice then I say to you, "Heil Hitler."
Yes I do support the adding this to the list of required childhood vaccinations. The vaccine is most effective when administered at ages 8-12. If you have some ethical issue with it, then simply opt out. Forms will be availible at your child's school.
It isn't even approved for use in women over 26. If you had been vaccinated when you were in 6th grade....
Amen.
This is for "protection". Soon they will be putting chips in children for their "protection". Eventually the government will be tracking us all over the place.
>>>>>>>"Yes I do support the adding this to the list of required childhood vaccinations. The vaccine is most effective when administered at ages 8-12. If you have some ethical issue with it, then simply opt out. Forms will be available at your child's school"<<<<<<<<
The following is a quote I stole from a different thread, emailed it to Gov Perry but you should read it as well
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
-- C. S. Lewis
You can read that quote 2 different ways. Which side are you on?
Excellent quote. Thank you.
>>>>>>"You can read that quote 2 different ways"<<<<<<
Can't help you, I only read English one way.
TT
You could say that both the state government and the family groups that oppose the vaccine are omnipotent busybodies and that they are doing so for their own conscience.
I'm generalizing, yes.
But I knew plenty of kids growing up who had parents who acted as if their kids did NO WRONG but I know darn well they weren't angels.
It is 100% voluntary since there is an opt-out.
If it is most effective at ages 8-12 then why do they begin administering at ages 11-12?
You mean streamlined communism. Just like hiding personal contact information when a gay "thing" is infected with the HIV virus, the government sets a double standard so those "things" can have governmental protection due to their scewed sexual standards and behaviors. We're going to protect them by taking the right for their parents to make those decisions.
Another issue I have is this: Children only have the rights their parents give them.
SS
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