Merck Suspends Lobbying for Vaccine

[Guest guest]

Merck

Suspends Lobbying for Vaccine

Tuesday February 20,

5:46 PM EST

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Merck & Co. is immediately suspending its

lobbying campaign to persuade state legislatures to mandate that adolescent

girls get the company's

new vaccine against cervical cancer as a requirement for school attendance, the

company said late Tuesday.

The drugmaker had been criticized by parents

and doctors' groups for quietly funding

the campaign via a third party to require 11- and 12-year-old girls get the

three-dose vaccine in order to attend school.

Some had objected because the vaccine protects

against a sexually transmitted disease, human papilloma virus,

which causes cervical cancer. Vaccines mandated for school attendance usually

are for diseases easily spread through casual contact.

" Our goal is about cervical cancer

prevention and we want to reach as many females as possible with

Gardasil, " Dr. M. Haupt, Merck's

medical director for vaccines, told The Associated Press.

" We're concerned that our role in

supporting school requirements is a distraction from that goal, and as such

have suspended our lobbying efforts, " Haupt said, adding the company will

continue providing information about the vaccine if requested by government

officials.

Merck launched Gardasil, the first vaccine to

prevent cervical cancer, in June.

Sales totaled $255 million through the end of

2006, according to Merck.

Last month, The Associated Press reported that

Merck was channeling money

for its state-mandate campaign through Women in Government, an advocacy group

made up of female state legislators across the country.

Conservative groups opposed the campaign,

saying it would encourage premarital sex, and parents' rights groups said it

interfered with their control

over their children.