Posted on 02/05/2007 7:13:36 AM PST by Froufrou
Bypassing the Legislature altogether, Republican Gov. Rick Perry issued an order Friday making Texas the first state to require that schoolgirls get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer.
By using an executive order, Perry sidestepped opposition in the Legislature from conservatives and parents-rights groups who fear such a requirement would seem to condone premarital sex and interfere with the way Texans raise their children.
Beginning in September 2008, girls entering the sixth grade -- meaning, generally, girls ages 11 and 12 -- will have to receive Gardasil, Merck & Co.'s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV.
Perry also directed state health authorities to make the vaccine available free to girls 9 to 18 who are uninsured or whose insurance does not cover vaccines. In addition, he ordered that Medicaid offer Gardasil to women ages 19 to 21.
Perry, a conservative Christian who opposes abortion 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 from the one that protects children against polio.
"The HPV vaccine provides us with an incredible opportunity to effectively target and prevent cervical cancer," Perry said.
Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass state laws across the country mandating Gardasil 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.
Perry has ties to Merck and Women in Government. 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 for Women in Government.
The governor also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.
The order is effective until Perry or a successor changes it, and the Legislature has no authority to repeal it, said Perry spokeswoman Krista Moody. Moody said the Texas Constitution permits the governor to order other members of the executive branch to adopt rules like this one.
Texas allows parents to opt out of inoculations by filing affidavits objecting to vaccines on religious or philosophical reasons. Even with such provisions, however, conservative groups say such requirements interfere with parents' rights to make medical decisions for their children.
The anti vaccine crowd is more resistant to reasoned discussion than the Greenpeace. While you mean well, its not worth the bandwidth.
They don't want to say that males 'carry' the virus. They do get genital warts but not cervical cancer. Does that mean they need only 1.5 shots?
That's not true. Most of the test subjects were sexually active. Several thousand went on to have babies. Read the ACIP report.
Everyone is capable of carrying the virus. Men who have compromised immune systems or multiple exposures can develop penile or anal cancers. Women are more likely to develop cancer then men because of the impact HPV has on the female cervix. Since men don't have a cervix, they will not develop cervical cancer. However, they will develop genital warts as frequently as men do.
"The epidemic-quaranteen and other powers of the Governor are not at issue here. Ahem. You're the one who brought them up in your previous post."
Your objection was that the Gov. was "practising medicine." I gave another example of "practising medicine" as you defined it, which are quaranteen powers.
Are you so slow you need me to show you you your own post?
Perry has links to Merck.
"How about letting us opt in rather than out? If not then why not mandate birth control, weight limits, hell why not a draft? The government is not smarter then I am about my family. The government is made up of fools, like that postal worker neighbor of mine. You and Perry are not conservative in my mind."
Because if it was optional, your insurance company would not pay for it, while they have to pay for mandated vaccines.
You must not be very conservative because you don't have a clue how business actually works.
"About 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine,. . .Too fast out of the gate!"
So 70% is not a good start?
Asprin does not cure 100% of headaches. Should we wait until we get a pill that cures 100% of headaches?
No medicine cure everything. This helps the overwhelming majority.
Why isn't it approved for women over 26? It seems like women over 26 are much more sexually active than a 9 year old.
If it is not safe for someone that is over 26 why not?
No. Kinky wasn't a better choice. Texas conservatives were under no illusions about Gov. Goodhair. Like with W Bush in 2004, we chose the lesser of two evils. Or four evils in this case.
"The egg heads believe that only virgins can be used to test their damn vaccine. This is really Sodom and Gomorrah stuff."
No, it's because 80% of college-age women already have HPV and at least 50% of college age men (it's harder to detect in men).
Basically, if your partner is not a virgin, the first time you have sex, you almost certainly catch this.
Hence why it's given so young.
"Perry has links to Merck."
And Halliburton. I understand he and Cheny have a machine to control the weather, too. They used in in New Orleans to target the blacks.
"Why isn't it approved for women over 26?"
Because 80% of college age women already have the virus, so basically it does no good.
This is a vaccine (a prevative), not a drug.
I suppose an always-virginal 26-yr-old getting married to someone who had been previously married (or had a past) should get the shot.
No, the government, the doctor, and the manufacturer are all specifically shielded from liability for side effects from vaccines.
"perseid 67
Since Jan 14, 2007"
Welcome to FR. What's your DU screen name?
There are too many things not known. How long does it last? Are boosters needed? Pelvic inflammatory disease as a side effect may be as bad as cervical cancer.
I didn't know until today that vaccines can produce very bad results.
Yeah, it's soo good they cranked it up again and tried to get the survivors in the Astrodome, but they missed.
Are you saying that 80% of college age women are not virgins?
I just seriously doubt that number.
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