Gardasil and the GOP

NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE ^ | September 13, 2011 | Henry I. Miller

[neverdem]

More than an hour into last night’s debate, Rep. Michele Bachmann attacked Gov. Rick Perry on the HPV vaccination controversy — or more accurately pseudo-controversy. It stems from an executive order issued by Perry in 2007 that required all Texas girls to receive Gardasil, a vaccine against the most common strains of human papilloma virus, before entering the sixth grade. However, Texas lawmakers blocked that mandate. Some critics argued that the vaccine was too new to have been confirmed safe, while others said that Perry’s order would preempt parental rights or give girls a false sense of security, possibly causing them to become sexually active at a young age.

Bachmann alluded to the Perry’s executive order mandating the exposure of young girls to a “dangerous” vaccine and tried to distinguish Gardasil from other required pediatric vaccines that prevent infectious diseases. Note to Bachmann: The vaccine, Merck’s Gardasil, prevents infection with the most common strains of human papilloma virus. Once established, these viruses can ultimately cause genital warts as well as cervical, anal, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. Thus, by preventing the infection, the vaccine prevents all those sequelae.

In the extensive clinical studies (on more than 20,000 girls and women) that were performed prior to the FDA’s licensing of the vaccine, the vaccine was 100 per cent effective, a virtually unprecedented result. How safe is the vaccine? No serious side effects were detected; the most common side effect is soreness, redness and swelling in the arm at the site of the injection.

In summary, Gardasil has one of the most favorable risk-benefit ratios of any pharmaceutical.

Having spent 15 years at the FDA and having seen regulation — the good, the bad and the ugly — up close, I am as opposed to anyone (exceptperhaps Ron Paul) to non-essential government intrusion into our lives. But some interventions are good. Among those I would include vaccination against childhood diseases and compulsory use of seat belts and motorcycle helmets.

I am discouraged by politicians who not only don’t know much about science, technology, or medicine (which is perhaps understandable) but also don’t know what they don’t know (which is unacceptable). 

Here’s my advice to the presidential hopefuls: If you’re not sure of the facts, keep quiet.

— Henry I. Miller, M.D., is Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy & Public Policy Hoover Institution.

[napscoordinator]

That is fine, but everyone here wants a fighter and when we get one nobody is satisfied. I guess we can expect a mealy mouse like GWB who would not fight back his critics. Good luck with that.

[brytlea]

I haven’t seen any threads about it, altho I admit, I’ve been out of town for a couple of weeks, I may have missed them. Are you saying you were for it?

[South40]

btw...the Texas legislature overturned RINO Mitt Perry's Garsadil EO, does that mean they too 'hate Texas women and want them to get cancer"? See how asinine your post was? lol!

Damn but you liberals are stupid.

[brytlea]

I would like to hear more about it.

[TexasFreeper2009]

well, you had better start “thinking” about Romney because can you name even ONE thing negative about him besides Romneycare that has been brought up at these debates?

...

Me either. He is getting a free ride while everyone and their brother beats the heck out of the longest serving governor in the most conservative state in the union, it's like the freaking twilight zone or something.

[deport]

Are you saying you were for it?

...

I’m saying we need to take a serious look at our transportation system/facilities here in Texas and get a plan in place to take of the next 50 years. Our current system will not meet the future and the state doesn’t seem to have the money to do anything about it. I’m not sure what he plan needs to be but it damn sure needs to be on the table and being persued. JMO, and yours may differ greatly.

[brytlea]

I’m a little unsure why this has become THE hotbutton issue. I am bothered by this mostly because he used it as a vehicle to force insurance companies to pay for the shots (using govt to do something he thought was a good idea—a big govt thing in my opinion).
But I have other issues with him and would rather see those hashed out instead. Sometimes it feels like we get intentionally bogged down in this stuff, which will just be so much fluff.

[sarasmom]

Yeah, Florida had “something similar”.
That is an understatement.LOL!

Crist also tried to grab some big Pharma dollars, and the Republican Governor of Florida handily lost his party primary race for reelection.

Perry did throw a hissy fit when he was stopped, by all accounts.

Just out of curiosity Eagle Eye, where are you from originally?

[USARightSide]

‘______I would be apprehensive about Gardasil.’

With you there.
Became informed about vaccines back in the 1970’s.
We are managing to do nicely with no vaccines, thank you.
Eleven grandchldren.
We are responsible about staying healthy.

We (non-vacciners) are being called all kinds of names by talk show hosts, and some remarks here on FR on an assortment of threads.

It’s obvious to me that many folks are not interested in hearing the negative side to vaccine formulas/shots.

So, in the end, we ask just to be left alone, as we usually go quietly about life, until something like this comes up.

[Eagle Eye]

Perry did throw a hissy fit when he was stopped, by all accounts.

One person's vigorous defense or advocacy is another person's hissy fit. Either way, I wasn't there, but I doubt Perry was throwing lamps, screaming, and stomping his boots.

FreeRepublic is full of truth and fact twisters and its getting rather depressing. Once upon a time Freepers cared more for the truth than their position.

Place of origin? LOL...not discussing that in open forum.

[Polybius]

If you could catch HPV by sneezing or coughing or casual contact there would be some public interest in having kids vaccinated. This is not the case with HPV ....

With the current prevalence of the HPV virus in the North American population, unless your son or daughter remain virgins for their entire lives, do you now what the chances are that they will be infected with HPV during their lifetime?

Approximately seventy five percent. (75%)

It is estimated that 75% of Canadians will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada estimates that 10% to 30% of the Canadian adult population is infected with HPV. This is in line with research from the US and Europe which has shown that 10% to 40% of sexually active women are infected by HPV at any one time.

"But what does all of this have to do with my pure as the driven snow daughter?", somebody might ask.

Well, it has a lot to do with her, even if you keep her locked up in her room until her wedding day. You know why? Because you had ZERO control over her future husband.

Once a virgin bride sleeps with her husband on her wedding night, as far as a sexually transmitted virus is concerned, she also slept with every woman that her new husband ever slept with as well as all the men that those women ever slept with as well as all the women that those men ever slept with as well as all the men that those women ever slept with .... and on and on and on.

Before you believe that HPV only affects other people's daughters, think about that simple fact of viral epidemiology and then think about how much control you have had over your daughter's present or future husband.

With up to 30% of the ENTIRE ADULT POPULATION infected at any one time by HPV, it is a huge public health issue. Vaccination can reverse that trend and actually make a virus extinct from an inoculated population. A vaccine for a virus with a much lower infection incidence, Hepatitis B, is already a mandated in most states.

But why start at age 12?

Because, for the best immunity, the series is given in three stages, before any sexual contact.

"But why vaccinate teenagers? My daughter would never have sex as a teenager."

Well, remember that virus chain?

Somebody's daughter, a 25 year old virgin, was infected with HPV on her wedding night by her new husband that never claimed to be a 27 year old virgin. He was infected when he was 23 by a girl that was infected when she was 18 who was infected by a boy that was infected when he was 16 by a girl who was infected when she was 13.

Don't think that the sexual conduct, which occurred years ago, of a 13 year old girl you never met and never will meet will never affect your family because it could be the cause of your daughter's cervical cancer 15 years from now.

That is how Mother Nature's nasty game of sexually transmitted viral epidemiology works.

How do you stop Mother Nature's nasty game.

You immunize the population and, over time, the virus becomes extinct .... Just like the Polio virus became extinct.

Ask somebody who is old enough to remember about the fears that every summer brought to every family in America before the Polio virus became extinct .... Because of a vaccine program.

[brytlea]

They haven’t invited me to the debates. Darn them!

[editor-surveyor]

National Review continues to be the voice of the elite.

This vaccine debate is just warming up. The strong evidence against vaccines in general is not going away, nor are those dedicated to real health measures to replace Pharma’s deadly poisons.

[deport]

Good rendition of the process. Thanks for sharing.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “I just wish we could get a Conservative who did not, in some way, sound like a lunatic.” <<

.
Perry is not in any way a conservative; he’s just a lunatic.

[brytlea]

Yes, I’m sure (just drove thru Houston, Austin (oh what a mess!) Dallas (worse than ever!). However, the TTC had some serious issues and those certainly were controversial. I’m not sure most Americans who are behind Perry have looked at those. If they agree with his views on it, fine, but I simply want people to know what his views on things like property rights etc are before they make him the next Republican candidate for President. That is my ONLY goal. I am not a Perry hater, altho is not my favorite.
I am Texan to the bone (even tho I am forced to live in FL at the moment because I like to eat on a regular basis). :) And we ARE all on the same side.
BTW I have always hated Houston traffic but I think it may have actually been somewhat better than Austin and Dallas this time. How hard that was to type! (but the tollways were completely befuddling!)

[Cboldt]

Well, given all that, is Perry pushing the legislature to enact mandatory HPV vaccination?

I'm trying to disambiguate his "made a mistake" remark, and discover his view of the government role in public health.

[editor-surveyor]

>> you aren’t going to convince me with this Perry is not a “real” conservative <<

.
Real conservatives don’t want open borders.

Real conservatives do not want “in state” tuition for illegals.

Real conservatives do not subvert parental rights to the poison industry.

Real conservatives do not want the US to be one with Mexico.
.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “But Bachmann and her supporters look like fools for calling into question the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.” <<

.
Nonsense!

The vaccine is neither safe nor effective.

The FDA approval was rigged, and disregarded over 25 serious, life threatening “side effects” that are decidedly more prominant in the vaccine’s effects than its supposed intended effect.

Bachman did America a huge favor.

[brytlea]

None of that has anything to do with the government making a mandate about forcing kids to take it in order to attend school. We decide to make kids take vaccines before they go to school for things they can transmit casually IN SCHOOL. Not for things that they might get from SEXUAL CONTACT. What you are suggesting is social engineering. This is a liberal idea.
If a parent wants to get their child the vaccine, that is fine with me. If the government wants to make it a law, that is not fine with me.
And I do indeed understand all about HPV. I am a former Health Teacher, after all.