[NVIC] Michigan Kills HPV Vaccine Mandate

[Guest guest]

EXCELLENT - read carefully and get involved in your state!

Sheri

January 8, 2007

National Vaccine Information Center

e-news

" The [HPV} vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration for use in girls as young 9 and up to 26. A government

advisory panel recommends that the vaccine be administered before girls

become sexually active. However, no sixth-grade girl should be sexually

active. Admittedly, probably some kids at this age are. Hopefully a

minority of the girls. Why force the vaccine on all youngsters that age?

Again, the decision to get the shot should be left up to the parents, who

we would suggest urge abstinence at such a young age.....This vaccination

is a parental and family decision. It belongs in the house and not the

state House. " - Dec. 27, 2006 EDITORIAL, The Oakland Press (Michigan)

" The legislation [to mandate HPV vaccine], sponsored by Sen. Bev

Hammerstron (R-Temperance) passed 36-1 in the [Michigan] Senate back on

Sept. 20. The legislation included an amendment that allowed parents to opt

out if so desired. However, there continued to be strong opposition to the

bill in the House. The basis of the opposition was that the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration (FDA) had only approved the vaccine in June of this

year, and there are claims that some individuals have had negative

reactions to the vaccine. What's more, the virus is spread through sexual

contact, and some view the idea of presenting the vaccine to girls in

schools as a subtle signal that they're expected to be sexually active. " -

Legislative Update from Sue Waltman, founder, MOM (Michigan Opposing

Mandatory Vaccines).

Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:

During the past few months, Michigan parents took the time and made the

effort to educate Michigan state legislators about the potential risks of

HPV vaccine and the inappropriate attempt by those trying to persuade

politicians to mandate the vaccine for all sixth grade girls. The vaccine

education effort was spearheaded by Michigan Opposting Mandatory

Vaccination (MOM) headed by Sue Waltman, who has been a longtime informed

consent advocate working in Michigan to defend parents' right to make

informed, voluntary vaccination decisions.

When state legislators have full and accurate information about the

benefits and risks of new vaccines that state health officials and drug

companies want to mandate supplied by citizens who will be affected by

those mandates, legislators often make different choices than if they only

hear from drug company and physician organization lobbyists, who profit

from vaccine mandates. It is extremely important for citizens in every

state to understand that they CAN affect the choices their legislators make

with regard to new vaccine mandates IF they stand up and make their voices

heard.

Congratulations to MOM and the other parents and activist citizens in

Michigan who cared enough about protecting their informed consent rights to

fight for them.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/122706/opi_2006122722.shtml

Decision to vaccinate girls is up to parents, not government

The Oakland Press

December 27, 2006

EDITORIAL

Legislation to vaccinate all Michigan girls entering the sixth-grade next

year with a vaccine to combat cervical cancer is dead - and we hope it will

remain so. Earlier this year the House and the Senate approved the

legislation.

But recently, after a motion to reconsider the vote in the House, the bill

failed to garner sufficient support for adoption.

The measure failed on the last day in the current Legislature's calendar

for 2006 because of concerns about the drug's long-term and unknown effects.

But there's another reason why the bill shouldn't have passed and shouldn't

be brought up again. Parents should be the ones to decide if their children

get the vaccination.

The legislation would have given parents the right to " opt out " of having

their daughters vaccinated for medical, moral or philosophical reasons. But

parents should not have to be forced to state that they don't want

something for their children that the state has no business requiring in

the fi rst place.

Yes, cervical cancer is a killer. According to the American Cancer Society,

about 9,700 women in the United States are diagnosed with the disease

annually. About 3,700 will die of the disease.

And it's encouraging medical news that a vaccine has been found to prevent

it.

But the key point here is the vaccine prevents infections from some strains

of the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus, or HPV, which can cause

cervical cancer, genital lesions and genital warts.

So, from a purely medical standpoint, as Ulmer, administrator for

personal and preventative services with the Oakland County Health Division

notes: " We recommend any girl that is sexually active to get the vaccine. "

However, Ulmer is quick to add " but we won't take a stand on if it should

be mandated - that's a political, legislative issue. "

The health division official notes there's an alternative to the vaccine.

" (The cancer the vaccine treats) is a communicable disease through sexual

activity. A woman wouldn't need the shot if she wasn't sexually active .... "

The vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for

use in girls as young 9 and up to 26. A government advisory panel

recommends that the vaccine be administered before girls become sexually

active.

However, no sixth-grade girl should be sexually active. Admittedly,

probably some kids at this age are. Hopefully a minority of the girls. Why

force the vaccine on all youngsters that age?

Again, the decision to get the shot should be left up to the parents, who

we would suggest urge abstinence at such a young age.

We also should be concerned about what type of message mass inoculations

would send to teenage girls. Might they interpret the vaccination as a

green light to engage in sexual activity?

This vaccination is a parental and family decision. It belongs in the house

and not the state House.

If similar legislation is introduced in the Legislature next year, we

expect our representatives and senators from Oakland County to fight, and

kill, any such proposal.

In meantime, Ulmer notes that information about the disease and the vaccine

can be obtained by going online at

<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vfkvn8bab.0.6cmwn8bab.oblmlwbab.8914 & ts=S0221 & p=htt

p%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fnip%2Fpublications%2Fvis%2F>www .cdc.gov/nipvaccine

-----------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------

Dear M.O.M. Friends:

Please see the update on SB 1416 below. We live to fight another day!

Sincerely, Sue Waltman Michigan Opposing Mandatory Vaccines

House Kills HPV Injection Legislation

The House rejected legislation early Friday morning, 53-48, which would

have recommended that sixth- grade girls take injections at school to

protect them against two strands of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which

is a virus that causes cervical cancer.

HB 1416 included an amendment to make the injections available only if

parents asked for them, 58- 45, but was reconsidered and taken up again

after midnight on what was technically a new session day.

The voting board was left open quite a while, and it seemed that House

leadership hoped the " yes " votes could be peeled off. Both support and

opposition to the bill was bipartisan. In fact some of the most compelling

floor debate featured two Democrats — Rep. WOJNO (D-Warren) who

supported the bill and Rep. a ZELENKO (D-Burton) who opposed it.

After the bill passed, House Majority Floor Leader WARD (R-Brighton)

made the motion to have the vote reconsidered and passed the bill for the

day. After midnight, the bill was immediately brought up for a vote again,

and with some members no longer in the chamber, it failed to get support

from the required majority of serving members.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bev HAMMERSTROM (R-Temperance) passed

36-1 in the Senate back on Sept. 20. The legislation included an amendment

that allowed parents to opt out if so desired. However, there continued to

be strong opposition to the bill in the House.

The basis of the opposition was that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) had only approved the vaccine in June of this year, and there are

claims that some individuals have had negative reactions to the vaccine.

What's more, the virus is spread through sexual contact, and some view the

idea of presenting the vaccine to girls in schools as a subtle signal that

they're expected to be sexually active (See " Stahl Worried About HPV

legislation, " 12/11/06).

Before the bill passed Thursday night, an amendment offered by Rep. Barb

VANDER VEEN (R- dale) changed the dynamic so that a parent would have

to opt in (rather than opt out) in order for their child to get the vaccine.

In the end, however, the main argument that defeated the bill appeared to

be the issue of why government should be involved with delivery of the

vaccine in the first place?

" This should be a decision between my daughter and her mother, " said Rep.

PASTOR (R- Livonia). " This shouldn't involve government. "

However, Rep. CLACK (D-Flint) argued that preventing the spread of

cervical cancer was a compelling enough reason for the government to get

involved.

" If you want to talk about special interests involved in this bill, I'll

tell you who they are — they're the 12,000 women diagnosed with cervical

cancer every year, " Clack said.

Also, the measure came over from the Senate as a two-bill (

<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vfkvn8bab.0.ddmwn8bab.oblmlwbab.8914 & ts=S0221 & p=htt

p%3A%2F%2Fwww.legislature.mi.gov%2F%28S%28hgdevvuoujzb5z45bjcd2o45%29%29%2Fm

ileg.aspx%3Fpage%3DgetObject%26objectName%3D2006-SB-1416>SB 1416 and

<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vfkvn8bab.0.gdmwn8bab.oblmlwbab.8914 & ts=S0221 & p=htt

p%3A%2F%2Fwww.legislature.mi.gov%2F%28S%28oxr1yo55wm04qeyz1g3zyg45%29%29%2Fm

ileg.aspx%3Fpage%3DgetObject%26objectName%3D2006-SB-1417>SB 1417) package.

However SB 1417 was never brought up Thursday or Friday and was apparently

dropped from the legislation.

*************************************************************

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