Posted on 02/06/2007 8:45:52 AM PST by Froufrou
Gov. Rick Perry stood firm Monday against a political firestorm ignited by his order that sixth-grade girls be inoculated against a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cervical cancer.
Social conservatives from Austin to Washington joined some state lawmakers in calling for Perry to reverse his executive order making Texas the first state to mandate the human papillomavirus vaccine for girls entering sixth grade in September 2008.
Several legislators expressed outrage that Perry circumvented the legislative process. Several bills had been filed to make the HPV shots mandatory for school enrollment.
"This needs closer examination. How much will it cost the state?" Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, said at a news conference.
"Most importantly, as a mother of four daughters I want to make sure our daughters' health is protected and parental rights are preserved."
Another senator, Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, said he'd file legislation to reverse Perry's order, which he said was not in the best interest of the state.
Parents will be able to opt their 11- and 12-year-old daughters out of the program, as they can for other required vaccines.
As speculation swirled about why Perry risked angering his conservative base, political observers said the governor is showing newfound independence and may be trying to raise his national profile as a potential vice presidential candidate.
The governor's spokesman also indicated that first lady Anita Perry's strong support for the vaccine might have played a role in the decision. A former nurse and the daughter of a doctor, Anita Perry works for an organization dealing with sexual assaults.
"I know they have discussed it, and it's something they both feel very strongly about," the spokesman, Robert Black, said.
In a statement, Perry addressed criticism that the vaccine could send a message that teenage sex is permissible.
"Providing the HPV vaccine doesn't promote sexual promiscuity any more than providing the Hepatitis B vaccine promotes drug use," he said.
"If the medical community developed a vaccine for lung cancer, would the same critics oppose it claiming it would encourage smoking?"
Perry's office said it would cost the state $29 million for its share of inoculating students who are uninsured or on government health programs. Federal funds also will be available for children on Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Federal health authorities last year recommended girls and young women get the vaccine, which prevents infection by four common strains of the HPV virus, which can cause cervical cancer years after infection.
Cervical cancer accounts for 3,700 deaths a year in the United States, including nearly 400 in Texas.
House Ways and Means Chairman Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, said he supports the vaccine but noted that other state legislatures have decided not to make it mandatory.
"What kind of deal was made?" asked Keffer, referring to comments by Cathie Adams, president of Texas Eagle Forum, that Perry's political ties with drug company Merck may have influenced the decision.
Perry's office has denied he was influenced by anything other than health concerns. His ex-chief of staff, Mike Toomey, is a lobbyist for Merck and Perry got $6,000 in contributions from the drug manufacturer's political action committee.
Black said Perry and Toomey never discussed the issue, and noted the Merck campaign contributions were relatively small.
"The governor is very pro-life, and he views this as protecting life," Black said. "The human race has never had an opportunity to prevent cancer. Not to pursue that opportunity, the governor believes that would be morally reprehensible."
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick both said Perry did not consult them. Craddick said he didn't have a position on the issue. Dewhurst said he would prefer a voluntary vaccination program.
GOP consultant Royal Masset said he thinks Perry wants to be considered as a national leader. Perry talked about international terrorism and immigration reform in his inaugural address.
"Health care is one of the most powerful issues we're going to be dealing with nationally," Masset said.
Meanwhile, a Christian group knocked the Texas governor in a Washington update mailed to supporters Monday.
Tony Perkins with Family Research Council said, "By commandeering this issue, Gov. Perry, who has championed family values, has only succeeded in arousing more mistrust."
of which 70% MAY (important word) have been prevented by this drug. The makers of this drugs do not guarantee that it works. It only works (most of the time)on 4 stains of the virus.
100% may have been prevented if these women would have had regular pap smears. A much better use of taxpayers money would be to fund clinics that offer these routine tests, such as pap smears and mammograms which would provide early detection and treatment of cancers, saving many more lives.
It's also important to note that most of the time, a HPV infection clears up on it's own.
If people want this shot, then by all means, get it. But women should be warned when getting it that it does not prevent all HPV infection, and regular pap smears are no less important.
Making it mandatory is poor use of taxpayers money for a product with such limited benefit.
Yeah, they can opt out until their school district refuses to let the child come to school until showing proof of vaccination. Or the school will just have the nurse administer the vaccination without the parents' knowledge or consent. Parental opt out provisions for mandatory items are typically onerous and temporary at best.
OK if people don't want this vaccine then also legislate that anyone receiving public health assistance (Medicaid) cannot receive any treatment for cervical cancer, screening or genital warts at public expense if they refuse the vaccine.
"The overwhelming majority of women with HPV will not develop cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is an extremely rare complication of a common infection.
The spontaneous resolution of HPV is common.
Most women who test positive for high-risk HPV will not be diagnosed with cervical cancer or a precancerous condition upon further evaluation.
The purpose of a Pap smear is to detect HPV-related lesions, including cervical cancer, and their precursors."
Kinoxi, you're being duped. Click on the link provided by mnehrling and get educated.
Exactly. They are using hysteria tactics and that's just wrong.
Joe, you make a good point. There's an important correlation between health and people on entitlements.
That makes about as much sense as saying that anyone who smokes should not receive any treatment for cancer, lung disease, enphysema, etc. if they receive any public assistance.
Well giving out condoms and clean syringes can help with that so lets do it
There are numerous vaccinations already required for most school children. How do you differentiate this one?
There are always side effects and fatalities from any mass innoculation program. For a large scale killer like smallpox it's worth it.
"Researchers say that in the last decade it's become clear that about 20 of the suspected 230 different types of HPV are considered high risk due to their association with cervical cancer."
This vaccine covers only 4 of the 20. And, it's NOT 100% UNLESS the recipient is a virgin (never exposed.)
AND, the competition will have a vaccine within the year. This is Merck pushing for a patent and a free ride at taxpayer expense.
Would you want your child forced to have a shot that may give her PID for the rest of her life? It happened.
Perry is a real scumbag, he takes huge donations from these drug companies and then lets the drug companis pretty much write the legislation demanding that all girls get this shot that just so happens to be produced by that very same drug company.
Perry should be in jail, he is no different than a drug dealer hanging around on the streets selling dope to kids to make a quick buck. Of course, the idiot Bush is silent about what is going on back in his home state of Texas, maybe the coke snorter Bush supports this kind of legislation, who knows... the guy can barely even string together a few words to create a complete sentence.
Folks like Perry are going to ruin this party, requiring young kids to get shots for STDs when instead they should just let kids be kids and tell the drug companies to go to hell.
And what is the point anyways of giving shots to kids when MILLIONS of criminal scum from Mexico are just streaming across the border and they don't have any shots, only shots those folks use are gunshots against our state troopers.
Are you saying that these vaccinations are actually spreading disease?
Nice rant. I really can't find anything to challenge.
Organ transplants are forbidden BTW to people who still smoke or drink.
Someone is using hysteria tactics, that's for sure.
This vaccine only works on 4 four strains of this disease, 2 of which are cancer related, the other 2 cause warts, which go away on their own eventually anyways.
It seems to me that this is an awfull waste of taxpayers money to have a manditory vaccine which has such little effect.
It should be offered as a personal choice, payed for by those that choose it.
It may also give uniformed women a false sense of security, and they would forgo regular pap smears. This 'vaccine' may end up causing more cancer than it saves.
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