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Rick Perry's HPV Stance Grounded in Case of Heather Burcham, Who Died of Cervical Cancer
ABC News ^ | September 15, 2011 | GINA SUNSERI

Posted on 09/15/2011 9:55:39 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Heather Burcham died in 2007 when she was 31. Cervical cancer killed her. She was misdiagnosed at age 26, and by the time she knew she had cancer, it was too late for effective treatment.

But she changed lives by living hers so passionately.

She was deeply religious, quick-witted, loving, with a quirky sense of humor; and she was determined to save other young women. Her passion for a cause made her a "Person of the Week" on ABC's "World News" program in 2007. Heather likely would have been shouting from the rooftops in frustration, listening to the current political debate about the HPV vaccine.

For her, the HPV vaccine was about saving lives, not politics, not campaign donations. She probably would have been heartbroken to hear Texas Gov. Rick Perry backtrack from his commitment to have girls vaccinated against cervical cancer.

Perry made her the poster child for his HPV executive decision, and spoke eloquently at her funeral. What a difference four years later as he debates the topic with other Republican candidates.

Her words to ABC News in 2007 still resonate, in light of the current debate in which this one face of the disease has been lost amid the political rhetoric.

"I don't want to have died in vain," she said. "I don't want my life to have no purpose whatsoever, and if I can help spread the word about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine, then I haven't lived in vain."

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cancervaccine; cervicalcancer; gardasil; govmandates; perry; perry2012
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To: jwalsh07

“No my contention is that YOU are an ignorant slut. Perry’s slut evidently.”

You know what I love most about you Palin supporters? You consistently exhibit a level of class that your (non) candidate has never and could never exhibit herself. Thanks for your example of how to win supporters and influence people. By the way, did you learn at the feet of Paul supporters, because you are almost THAT classy.

Almost.


261 posted on 09/15/2011 1:09:36 PM PDT by Grunthor (Perry, Cain, Santorum, Gingrich, Romney, Pretty much in that order for now.)
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To: driftdiver

“The vaccine protects against a very small number of the strains of the disease. “

Correction: HPV vaccine protects against the 4 HPV strains that cause 70% of cervical cancers and provides that protection for life for those strains.

“The annual death count is about 4000.” For cervical cancer, correct. there are additional diseases and cancers related to these HPVs as well.


262 posted on 09/15/2011 1:11:59 PM PDT by WOSG
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To: traderrob6

Pathetic bunch.


263 posted on 09/15/2011 1:12:56 PM PDT by tatown (The only job Obama's ever created was the one he gave Larry Sinclair.)
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To: Just mythoughts

“I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him.”

- Sarah Palin 2010


264 posted on 09/15/2011 1:16:29 PM PDT by Grunthor (Perry, Cain, Santorum, Gingrich, Romney, Pretty much in that order for now.)
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To: pgyanke
We vaccinate our children in school because the close proximity is an easy vector for airborne diseases. HPV is not one of those,

And neither is Hepatitis B, but we require a vaccination for it.

265 posted on 09/15/2011 1:26:21 PM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: shield

“Too bad FReepers aren’t able to understand the left is using you. You’ve played right into their fat little commie hands.”

Some FReepers LIKE to lose.

The LIKE to trash the guy who is 90% on their side, because of that 10% of disagreement.
They LIKE to be so out there that no politicians looking to get 51% support could ever make them happy.
They LIKE to feel superior, pure and better for being that way, even if it doesnt add up to a hill of beans in the real world.

The loser ‘eat your own’ perfectionist mentality drives a lot of this intra-party attacks.

None of the GOP candidates are perfect, but overall its a pretty good field and certainly any of them would be an improvement on Obama.


266 posted on 09/15/2011 1:29:15 PM PDT by WOSG
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To: Cboldt
I disagree that the article confirms that HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer.

How about a better source to confirm it: The National Cancer Institute.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/HPV

Q3: What is the association between HPV infection and cancer?

Persistent HPV infections are now recognized as the cause of essentially all cervical cancers.

267 posted on 09/15/2011 1:32:01 PM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: LearnsFromMistakes

There is absoulutely no comparison between Obamneycare and Romney’s continued support for it and any of the alleged sins of Perry.

Bachman’s role as facilitator for Romney is the same role that Huckabee played for McCain.


268 posted on 09/15/2011 1:34:33 PM PDT by Eva
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To: so_real

“Bachmann did not make the claim that Gardasil caused mental retardation either. She relayed the story of a crying woman after the debate who indicating it had done so to her daughter. If Ron Paul, a doctor, had repeated such a story I might admonish him for it. I’d expect him to be skeptical.”

So since Bachmann is not a doctor she can spread medically-ignorant fables? It’s bad enough that she made false claims in the debate (viz ‘forcing little girls’), but that assertion of hers takes the cake and has pretty much sealed the fate of her campaign. She’s now in with RonPaul as another loon.


269 posted on 09/15/2011 1:36:02 PM PDT by WOSG
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To: LearnsFromMistakes

The Wall Street Journal called Bachman/Romney a tag team.


270 posted on 09/15/2011 1:36:22 PM PDT by Eva
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To: tatown; traderrob6; Cincinatus' Wife; RockinRight
I think her support is shrinking, even around here. There seems to be less of the hard core excitement we saw weeks ago.

Someone floated the idea last night that Sarah was delaying entry into the race for financial reasons, and that now she's having a hard time finding the type of funding to make her competitive. Even the Perry people have publicly stated that they're going to have a tough time matching Romney's apparent goal of $10 million in six weeks. She would be entering into a funding pool that is already very diluted.

I pointed out a couple of weeks ago that by waiting, Palin had put effectively put off building a national campaign infrastructure and would need to work quick and hard to get on all 56 primary ballots and get qualified people in each state to manage the campaigns. A Palin Freeper said that she ALREADY had a national campaign infrastructure and pointed me to the Organize4palin.com website as proof that she has supporters everywhere ready to go.

But I read an article earlier this week that said that Organize4Palin is run by some guy out of a Des Moines hotel room and has no connection to Palin, her PAC, or any campaign.

I think it's still up in the air. But the suspense is entertaining on both sides, although I think it'll be pretty inconsequential to the primary race either way.

271 posted on 09/15/2011 1:37:12 PM PDT by GunRunner (***Not associated with any criminal actions by the ATF***)
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To: driftdiver
An update of information that we talked about a few hours ago. While searching related info I found this at the National Cancer Institute.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/HPV-vaccine

Q6: How effective are the HPV vaccines?

A: Gardasil and Cervarix are highly effective in preventing infection with the types of HPV they target. The vaccines have been shown to provide protection against persistent cervical HPV 16/18 infections for up to 8 years, which is the maximum time of research follow-up thus far. More will be known about the total duration of protection as research continues

I only post this follow up since it is different than the 5 year claim I made earlier. Longer time periods, if they exist, won't be proved until that time has past.

272 posted on 09/15/2011 1:40:10 PM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: LearnsFromMistakes

“I don’t get the excitement on this website for the guy. “

None of the other candidates were strong enough to take on Romney. Perry is. We dont have to settle for Romney.


273 posted on 09/15/2011 1:40:10 PM PDT by WOSG
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To: thackney
Thanks. I found that independently of your thoughtful information, and posted it above, at post 222.
274 posted on 09/15/2011 1:42:18 PM PDT by Cboldt
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To: WOSG

So since Bachmann is not a doctor she can spread medically-ignorant fables?

You draw a wide line. She repeated something she heard only shortly earlier. We've yet to see, now that she's been corrected, if she'll spread it or not. I suspect not. My hope is that she will redact it entirely. My point was that Bachmann, not medically trained herself but aware of the serious side effects Gardasil can and has expressed, did not have as great a cause to be skeptical as someone like Ron Paul given the story delivered to her. Because she held her ground for us in the Boehner budget bill cave-in, and because she has been a Tea Party advocate from early on, I will give her the benefit of the doubt and not throw her under the bus. The "don't eat you own" mantra applies to Bachmann as well. She has been a powerful voice for us a considerable amount of time, and that is worth something to me.


275 posted on 09/15/2011 1:47:12 PM PDT by so_real ( "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.")
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To: Cboldt

I think some confusion above might have been around there are many different strains of HPV. Two of those strains cause 70% of the cervical cancer and are stopped by both Gardasil and Cervarix.


276 posted on 09/15/2011 1:50:16 PM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: GunRunner

“Is that a good business? Seems recession proof. People are always going to need to wash clothes.”

It actually does great in two times: (1) hard times and (2) good times, when it’s so crowded people can’t find a house to buy or good apartment.

When thing just putter along, it’s OK.

It’s good times now.


277 posted on 09/15/2011 1:58:38 PM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
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To: pgyanke

If you think warts are hard to catch you must live in a plastic bubble.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,520037,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/sexualhealth

Hope your kids don’t kiss any frongs. And their dates never kissed anyone else. Ever.


278 posted on 09/15/2011 2:01:38 PM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
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To: sockmonkey

Hep B can be passed during birth.


279 posted on 09/15/2011 2:11:22 PM PDT by Politicalmom (Voting for Romney is surrendering to the Soviet Union rather than to the Nazis.”-FReeper Dead Corps)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Another very interesting article about this vaccine!

www.naturalnews.com/033585_Gardasil_contamination.html


280 posted on 09/15/2011 2:24:35 PM PDT by Cricket24 (Proud to be a CONSERVATIVE WOMAN!!!!!!!)
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