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.
"They obviously slept through the last election and now look at the mess we're in."
Actually the last two elections.
There is no longer a party which is concerned with individual rights in this country. Both of the major parties are only concerned with gaining more power for the entrenched politicians who consider their position the most important thing in the world.
I only hope that at some point enough people will get tired of this situation and we can vote in some people who favor smaller gov't instead of larger.
Today's US House of Liberals and RINOs think they're "royalty" on a throne. In their minds, we're the stupid, unwashed masses.
I am not saying I agree with the mandate, but I have to point out as an RN that since in this state GYNS are now testing for HPV with the annual routine pap, many many women are surprisingly coming up + for HPV. And I am not talking promiscious women, I mean wives who have been married many years and obtained it from a past partners. My coworkers and myself tend to talk very candidly about this stuff and FOUR of my co workers (all married women with children of various ages) are + for HPV. Just something to think about. HPV is alot more common then the average person would think.
Where did I say I agreed with the mandate and I am ready to give up my rights?
I'm of the opinion that many FReepers think this shot will encourage girls to have sex judging by many posts. I don't. I don't believe that cervical cancer or the virus weighs into the decision making process of girls as to whether or not they have sex. I believe that drug companies stand to make billions off of this. I believe that the precancerous cells that start from this virus can be caught by a routine pap smear, it worked for my sister and two friends. I would like to know the length of time women who have gotten cervical cancer went between pap smears and if they were in monogamous relationships or dating (having sex with) multiple people between pap smears.
I have used my parental rights to opt out of a vaccine that I felt wasn't worth the risks and I didn't feel the success rate of the vaccine (0.1% decrease for a certain type of virus, and 7% reduction in ear aches) justified giving it to my kids. I have strong beliefs that the vaccine I opted out of is a waste of money, is way more of a risk to children than what it is worth and the drug company that makes it admits that it may decrease the efficacy of other vaccines kids get. Yet, I am sure many people don't even know exactly what it does and just shoot up their kids with this. I believe people are making such a big stink about this particular vaccine because it is linked to sexual behavior in their daughters and most parents can't think about that. Conservatives and republican politicians have been peeing on the individual's rights in this country for years. Maybe this will finally be a wake up call to people.
The citizens of the State of Texas should inform the Governor that he was elected and not a dictator. Today's politicians think they are rulers and we are the unwashed masses. It has become that pathetic because the majority of Americans are so willing to give up their rights.
Dear metmom:
Don't know; but I'll say this...I have no idea whether a Governor can be recalled in Texas as 'Gray-Out' Davis was in California, but this would seem to be an "Impeachable Offense" - given the monetary donation connections.
It sure looks like a "quid pro quo", to be polite...
Reagan80
It ain't over till it's over...
The latest...
From: http://www.yahoo.com
Texas gov., lawmakers in vaccine dispute By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 18 minutes ago
AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Rick Perry's office challenged lawmakers Wednesday to override his order that schoolgirls be inoculated against the virus that causes cervical cancer, acknowledging for the first time that the Legislature holds that power.
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Opponents of the order have argued that legislators should have heard from doctors, scientists and patients before the state implemented the requirement, and some Republican lawmakers have already filed bills to override the order.
Lawmakers are welcome to try to bar the requirement, said Perry spokesman Robert Black. Some lawmakers have said that any legislation they pass on the issue would trump the governor's order — an argument Black agreed with.
"If the Legislature feels strongly one way or another about preventing cancer in young women ... they should act on it," Black said.
Perry's order Friday required the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to adopt rules requiring the Merck & Co.'s new Gardasil vaccine for girls entering the sixth grade as of September 2008. The vaccine protects girls against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that cause most cases of cervical cancer.
Conservatives say the order contradicts Texas' abstinence-only sex education policies and intrudes on families. They also balk at the $360 cost for the three-shot series and said Gardasil is too new to force on girls as young as 11 and 12.
Parents can elect to avoid the vaccine by filing an affidavit outlining their religious or philosophical objections. But several lawmakers said they would prefer a program in which parents opt in instead of opting out.
Perry firmly defended his actions in his State of the State speech on Tuesday, saying "If I err, I will err on the side of protecting life."
State Sen. Jane Nelson asked Attorney General Greg Abbott on Wednesday for a ruling on the order's legality and guidance on legislative recourse. She did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass state laws requiring the Gardasil vaccine for girls across the country, funneling money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators nationwide. Perry has ties to both.
One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, Perry's former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director of Women in Government.
No clue. I'm a NYSer and always surprised when some other state beats us out in something.
Oh. He's strongly anti-abortion, I take it. And he should support bans for alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, illegal immigrants, bike riding without a helmet, running in the house with scissors in your hand,...
"If the Legislature feels strongly one way or another about preventing cancer in young women ... they should act on it," Black said.
Wow. That's loaded. IT'S NOT ABOUT OPPOSING CANCER PREVENTION. It's about opposing a government order to have a potentially dangerous vaccine administered to young girls without any severe need for it.
Did this statement stand out to anyone else? It sounds similar to some questions I was asked during a poll before the election. Are you for raising taxes for the prescription drug plan so people don't have to choose between their medication or eating? That statement is basically implying that if you don't favor the mandate, then you are in the camp of wanting girls to get cancer. btw, what is the youngest age of cervical cancer on record? I doubt it is 11 or 12, and would be skeptical that there are more than a handful of cases in the 20-24 year old range.
But it's still true that HPV isn't like the measles. A lot of people have it, that's certain. In a lot of cases though, HPV is benign, and Garvasil only protects against 4 strains of it, so even with the vaccine, tons of people will still get other strains of HPV. More people die from the flu each year than they do from cervical cancer. More people die from from the flu each year than people who're just plain diagnosed with cervical cancer. If a woman has a regular pap smear, it can be caught, without the need for a vaccine that can give young women seizures and hasn't been tested extensively enough so that we know what to expect 10 years down the road. If the governor of Texas wants to protect people using vaccines, why isn't he pushing othe vaccines?
Yes. It's like the "When did you stop beating your wife?" question.
Perry thinks the legislature has to 'override' his edict. They don't. And unlawful order (one made without the authority to do so) has no force in law.
I'm still waiting for Abbott's office to issue a statement.
26 of 31 Senators oppose the mandate. The TMA opposes. Perry's base opposes it in massive numbers.
Basically, it's Perry, Chris Bell and Jessica Farrar in one corner. The rest of the state is in the other.
I think the good guys are going to win on this one. The war is not even getting started good.
"If the Legislature feels strongly one way or another about preventing cancer in young women ... they should act on it," Black said. ""
Spoken like a true liberal - ie, oppose the state on its latest overreach and CHILDREN DIE. Sigh. Heard it all before.
"Hey doc. Any chance we could get a source for your outrageously high 80% infection rate stat? I'm no MD, but I do happen to be a statistician and would like the opportunity to examine the scientific validity of the unsourced HPV infection rate statistics that are being tossed out by people like you on this thread.
Specifically, where did they take that sample from? When did they take it? How was the diagnosis made? Was it representative of the general U.S. population? How many participated? What percentage of respondents were sexually active outside of wedlock? I look forward to your response."
I noticed you didn't get a response on this post. Too bad, I was interested in where this was going....Anybody can throw out numbers, very few can back them up with facts.
Oops, found the reply. It was to a different post. but you were still right.
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