[PROVE] Proposed Childhood Cervical Cancer Vaccine Mandate: Bad Policy, Questionable Science

[Guest guest]

February 2007

Texas Eagle Forum Torch

http://www.texaseagle.org/torch/NewTorch/2-2007Torch.pdf

Proposed Childhood Cervical Cancer Vaccine Mandate:

Bad Policy, Questionable Science

By Dawn and Rex

Two concerning bills filed in the Texas Legislature this session propose

requiring the vaccination of 6th grade girls against the sexually transmitted

virus HPV as a condition of attending school. Infection with the HPV virus is

one of several risk factors associated with the development of cervical cancer.

Not only is a mandate bad policy, the science is questionable.

While nobody would deny that cancer is a horrible disease, we have to be careful

to not let the marketing of the fear of cancer by drug companies push us into

blind acceptance without pulling back the covers and taking a closer look at the

facts.

First of all, there is no proof that the HPV vaccine will prevent cervical

cancer. 90% of women who contract the HPV virus clear it on their own. For

these women, the vaccine offers NO benefit and only exposes them to risks. The

incubation period for the virus is 20 years and the average age of women

diagnosed with cervical cancer is 50 years old, but the vaccine was only tested

for 4 years in 16-26 year olds. Considering that the vaccine manufacturer

admits the duration of immunity from the vaccine is unknown, no claims to proof

of cervical cancer prevention should be made.

Secondly, there are significant safety questions that seriously undermine any

presumed benefit. Disclaimers printed on the manufacturer’s package insert

state that the vaccine has not been tested for it's own ability to cause cancer,

and the effect on a woman’s reproductive capacity is unknown. The FDA's Vaccine

Adverse Events Reporting System has already received 82 reports of serious

adverse events following HPV vaccination since its approval last June. Each

girl receiving all three HPV vaccine doses will be directly injected with 675

mcg of aluminum. Preliminary research shows that mice injected with aluminum

manifested symptoms associated with Parkinson's Disease, Lou Gehrig's Disease

and Alzheimer's.

Finally, the high cost of this vaccine - about $450/person for the series or

roughly $73 million to vaccinate Texas 6th grade girls only – brings home the

point that we should be making policy choices that are most likely to achieve

the greatest health benefits with the most efficient use of finite resources.

The vaccine does nothing to address other significant cervical cancer risk

factors like smoking, HIV or Chlamydia infection, diet/obesity, long-term use of

oral contraceptives, multiple pregnancies, low socioeconomic status, age, family

history, race/ethnicity, or a mother who took the hormonal drug DES.

Imagine what could be achieved if instead of funneling money directly to the

drug companies for a questionable vaccine, the money was invested in proven

measures like increasing education and outreach efforts to women who do not

receive regular screening for cervical cancer and removing economic and cultural

barriers for low-income and minority women to access all health services.

Often ineffective and cumbersome state vaccine exemptions are no guarantee to

protect your daughter from this shot if these bills are passed.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please contact your state legislators asking them to oppose forced HPV

vaccination of your daughter(HB 215 and SB 110). This decision needs to be made

by parents at home, not legislators in the Texas House.

Dawn and Rex are co-founders of the organization Parents

Requesting Open Vaccine Education, or PROVE. More information on HPV and other

vaccines can be found at www.vaccineinfo.net.

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Dawn

PROVE(Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education)

prove@... (email)

http://vaccineinfo.net/ (web site)

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PROVE provides information on vaccines, and immunization policies and practices

that affect the children and adults of Texas. Our mission is to prevent vaccine

injury and death and to promote and protect the right of every person to make

informed independent vaccination decisions for themselves and their family.

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This information is not to be construed as medical OR legal advice.

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