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."
From the link that I posted:
According to the Merck product manufacturer insert, there was 1 case of juvenile arthritis, 2 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, 5 cases of arthritis, and 1 case of reactive arthritis out of 11,813 Gardasil recipients plus 1 case of lupus and 2 cases of arthritis out of 9,701 participants primarily receiving an aluminum containing placebo. Clinical trial investigators dismissed most of the 102 Gardasil and placebo associated serious adverse events, including 17 deaths, that occurred in the clinical trials as unrelated.
That's pretty alarming, if you ask me. 90% Gardasil and 85% placebo side effects due to aluminum? I wonder if these muscle pain and weaknesses are the ones other drugs caution to report right away as a 'rare but serious condition?'
I'm for taking as little medication as possible. Even my hormones are bio-identical.
Flu viruses have been very difficult to combine.
Manufacturing vaccines is a very, very difficult and exasperating process. Combination vaccines although apparently a great idea, are also highly unpredictable to develop at times and criticized by the ani-vaccine crowd.
So many lots of vaccine are made so very by the book and yet for unknown reasons must be tossed d/t loss of potency. It is a thousand times harder than drug manufacturing. The investment in R & D and manufacture is so specialized and expensive and LONG and people don't like to pay for prevention.
There are mavericks in this business as well as any other, but the good guys drive them out quickly. Then they move on to something more lucrative, like journalism or politics. j/k
I'll be really shocked if the people of Texas put up with this travesty.
You won't know unless you actually read it.
I'm thinking,
The hepatitis vacs have been out for a long time,
And it's a virus.
Polio, smallpox, diphtheria etc are all caused by viruses.
Wonder how that compares to numbers in the general population with children who see physicians regularly and have never been vaccinated.
Just wondering.
I read it.
Not impressed.
Try again.
I'm a strong believer in better living through chemistry. Maybe it's because I played in the church cemetary while Mom practiced the organ.
But it made a huge impression on me. Huge.
"Flu viruses have been very difficult to combine."
Morphing a little more than some others, I imagine.
Remember, too, that a huge bunch of Exxon employees in Houston got placebo instead of flu shots. And the servers knew it! Injected with water anyway!
Small wonder we don't trust very well.
Especially considering they never use it in trials, they use saline. AND gave them Hepatitis B at the same time. This was not a clean clinical test.
Oh please,
Turn off the pipe organ!
I don't want government buttiskies either. However, I'm all for vaccinations. I've had a glimpse into a world without them, and I think they're a good thing.
It gets better.(or worse)
About HPV Disease
In the United States, approximately 20 million people are infected with HPV, and approximately 80 percent of females will have acquired HPV by age 50. For most people, HPV goes away on its own
The study seems to be rather short on info. I'd certainly like more. And definately don't like the little that's out there.
Nope.
Better research that. Google 'immunization for bacterial disease' and you'll see. Bacteria are much larger than viruses.
I believe the sexual activity had to be limited to 0 or 1 or 2 partners.
Also, part of proving that preventing infection by the vaccine is effective is that they were exposed during the time of the study. (sex)
No one would want a study in 11 year olds that expected them to have sex, and thus exposure, with in the next year or two.
Yes, those ages included in the study are also within the label requirements for vaccination, but to try to be ahead of a child's first sexual experience, vaccination is prefered before likely sexual activity.
Thank you. I've been to the site many times but didn't get the 'dirt' on the trial, other than the test subjects not being the same age as target subjects.
Have you checked out their HIV trial?
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