[PROVE] ALERT: Gov of Texas Orders STD Vaccination on 6th Grade Girls

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

Even though the states of Michigan, land, and Indiana have killed, pulled

down, or gutted proposed legislation to mandate the controversial new vaccine

called Gardasil made by Merck for the sexually transmitted virus HPV, our Texas

governor Rick did the unthinkable by bypassing the entire Texas

legislature from the process and issuing an intrusive executive order forcing

all of our 11 and 12 year old little girls to be vaccinated against this

sexually transmitted virus in order to attend the 6th grade!

IMMEDIATE responses to your Texas state senator and representative expressing

your opposition is needed!

There are several brave legislators that are working hard at trying to reverse

this, but in order for other legislators to be receptive and sign onto and

support these efforts, they need to know that the people who voted to put them

into office are outraged by the governor’s actions. Please make your voice

heard NOW!

The governor is hiding behind the claim that parents can opt out of this

mandate, but he is not telling parents the truth that in many cases, the

exemption isn’t worth the piece of paper it is printed on: private and

parochial schools don’t have to accept the exemption, physicians do not have to

accept the exemption and many throw families out of their practices for not

receiving all state mandated vaccines, and some insurance companies are

discriminating against families whose kids have not received all the vaccines on

the state’s required list. Additionally, the exemption process is a

bureaucratic nightmare requiring written requests to the State Health Department

in Austin forcing the disclosure of your children’s full names, birthdates, and

mailing address. Sometimes these forms take weeks to be mailed out by the

health department disrupting school attendance and the forms must be notarized

and repeatedly submitted every 2 years.

If you don’t know who represents you, you can link to

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/

and enter your address. Click on the links provided for your Texas State

Senator and Texas State Representative to obtain their phone, fax, and email.

Forward this alert to your friends and family and ask them to help flood the

legislature with messages that this is a totally unacceptable abuse of power and

demanding that something be done by the legislature to reverse this and prevent

it from happening again.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Dawn

Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education (PROVE)

www.vaccineinfo.net

Here are a handful of talking points to consider:

1) Governor 's Executive Order, that MANDATES the HPV vaccine for 6th grade

girls, circumvents the legislative process by usurping the authority of our

elected representatives to debate and decide bills already filed in the Texas

legislature.

2) This MANDATE usurps the rights of the parents of Texas to make medical

decisions for their minor children by requiring this vaccine. It is the parents

who have to live with the consequences if their child is injured by the HPV

vaccine, not the governor or the state of Texas. Texas vaccine exemptions don’t

apply in many cases so parents aren’t really free to say no to this shot if it

is mandated.

3) This MANDATE forces our little girls to be " experiments " for the new HPV

vaccine that has only been on the market since June of 2006 – less than one

year! It is made by Merck – the same drug makers as Vioxx! There are already 82

reports of serious adverse events filed with the FDA following the

administration of this vaccine.

***

Oppose Governor ’s Executive Order Mandating HPV Vaccine for 6th Grade

Girls:

What Do We Really Know About the HPV Vaccine?

QUESTIONABLE NECESSITY AND EFFECTIVENESS

The American Cancer Society says that even though infection with the sexually

transmitted virus HPV is an important risk factor for cervical cancer, most

women with HPV infection do not get cervical cancer. Doctors believe other

factors must come into play for this cancer to develop. Some of these factors

are smoking, HIV infection, Chlamydia infection, diet, long-term use of birth

control pills, multiple pregnancies, low income, mothers who took hormonal drug

DES, and family history. [1] These are not typical risk factors affecting

junior high girls.

According to the National Institutes of Health National Cancer institute, in

more than 90% of the cases, HPV infections are harmless and go away without

treatment. [2]

Also, according to the CDC, most cervical cancer can be prevented and cervical

cancer is very rare in women who get regular PAP tests.[3] Cervical Cancer is

not a major killer in the state of Texas thanks to PAP screenings: in 2000,

there were 371 deaths from cervical cancer, in 2001 there were 352 and in 2002

there were 329. [4]

The CDC says there are more than 100 strains or types of HPV and over 30 strains

are sexually transmitted. [5] Yet the vaccine under consideration for mandate

covers only 4 strains. [6] About 30% of cervical cancers can’t be prevented by

the vaccine, so women will still need regular cervical cancer screenings. [7].

The only current vaccine manufacturer for the HPV vaccine, Merck, admits on

their package insert that the duration of immunity from the vaccine is unknown.

[8] In clinical trials, the vaccine’s effectiveness was only followed for 4

years.[9] Yet we do know from the CDC that the incubation period for the HPV

virus is about 20 years [10] and the median age of women diagnosed with cervical

cancer is 48 [11]. Therefore, no claims to proof of cervical cancer prevention

by vaccinating preteen girls should be made.

QUESTIONABLE SAFETY

The HPV vaccine Gardasil was approved by the FDA on June 8, 2006 after 6 months

of review.[12] It has been on the market for less than 1 year.

The chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious

diseases was quoted in the Washington Post in response to a proposed mandate in

Washington D.C. saying that he thought it was premature to recommend making the

vaccine mandatory. " I think it's too early, " said ph A. Bocchini,… " This is a

new vaccine. It would be wise to wait until we have additional information about

the safety of the vaccine. " [13]

Dr. Meyers, director of the National Network for Immunization

Information, was quoted in the Baltimore Sun in response to a proposed bill in

land to mandate HPV vaccines for 6th grade girls, “A lot of us are worried

it's a little early to be pushing a mandated HPV vaccine. " He also said " It's

not the vaccine community pushing for this. " The article spotlighted HPV vaccine

manufacturer Merck’s aggressive role in pushing for a mandate where across the

U.S., HPV vaccine mandates could mean $4 billion dollars in sales for Merck [14]

who is currently plagued by lawsuits for withholding critical safety information

to doctors and patients about their popular painkiller drug Vioxx.[15]

The FDA’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System has already received 82

reports of serious adverse events following HPV vaccination with Gardasil since

its approval last June. [16]

More questions remain. Disclaimers printed on the manufacturer’s package inset

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

[17] and the effect on a woman’s reproductive capacity is unknown. [18]

Additionally, the vaccine is genetically engineered yet the manufacturer admits

it has not tested the vaccine for genotoxicity[17] (testing to see if the

vaccine is toxic to our own human DNA). Each dose of the vaccine contains 225

mcg of aluminum [6] which means girls receiving all 3 HPV doses will be directly

injected with 675 mcg of aluminum.

QUESTIONABLE COST

The retail cost of the vaccine is $120 per dose, or $360 for the full series of

3 shots. [7] According to one of the authors of the bills filed, Sen.

Van de Putte, there are 162,000 6th grade girls[19] which translates to forcing

Texas families paying over $58 million dollars not including the doctor visits

for a vaccine not proven to prevent cervical cancer. This is a high price to

force families to pay especially for families skeptical of the necessity,

efficacy, or safety of the vaccine. Merck is absolved from liability for the

injuries and deaths caused by the HPV vaccine through the National Childhood

Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 [20] leaving families to deal with the emotional and

monetary costs of the harm caused by the vaccine to their daughters on their

own.

The vaccine is available to anyone who wants it, so it does not need to be

mandated. Federal health programs such as Vaccines for Children cover the HPV

vaccine to children and teens under 19 years of age, who are either uninsured,

Medicaid-eligible, American Indian, or Alaska Native. The VFC Program also

allows children and teens to get VFC vaccines through Federally Qualified Health

Centers or Rural Health Centers, if their private health insurance does not

cover the vaccine [7], so insurance mandates which raise the cost of insurance

for everyone who does not want or need the vaccine are not necessary.

REFERENCES

[1] The American Cancer Society, What Causes Cancer of the Cervix.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_2X_What_causes_cancer_of_the_c\

ervix_Can_it_be_prevented_8.asp?sitearea=

[2] The National Institutes for Health, National Cancer Institute.

http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/cervical-cancer-vaccine1102

[3] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cervical Cancer Screening

and Prevention.

http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/CervicalCancerScreeningPrevention8-3-2005.ppt#267,10,\

Most cervical cancer can be prevented

[4] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention United States Cancer

Statistics. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/

[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sexually Transmitted Diseases,

Genital HPV Infection – CDC Fact Sheet.

http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm

[6] Gardasil package Insert. 2006. Page 1.

http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

[7] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV Vaccine Questions and

Answers.

http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm

[8] Gardasil package Insert. 2006. Page 5, paragraph 6.

http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

[9] Gardasil package Insert. 2006. Page 2, paragraph 2.

http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

[10] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Program,

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Minutes of the October 26-27, 2005

ACIP meeting, p. 57.

http://www.cdc.gov/nip/acip/minutes/acip-min-oct05.pdf

[11] National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Cancer Stat Fact

Sheets

http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/cervix.html

[12] FDA News, Press Release.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01385.html

[13] The Washington Post, “D.C. Bill Would Mandate Vaccine” by Nikita

and Rob Stein. January 10, 2007, p. A01.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/09/AR2007010901386.\

html

[14] The Baltimore Sun, “Drug Firm Pushes Vaccine Mandate, Merck Lobbies Md. On

HPV Preventive. by erman, January 29, 2007.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.md.cervical29jan29,0,166914.story

[15] The Star-Ledger, “Attorneys Lay Out Cases to Open Double Vioxx Trial”, by

Todd, January 23, 2007.

http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-0/1169532761221410.xm\

l & coll=1

[16] http://www.medalerts.org/vaersdb/findfield.php?PAGENO=1 & PERPAGE=10 & VAX=HPV4

[17] Gardasil package Insert. 2006, Page 8, paragraph 17.

http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

[18] Gardasil package Insert. 2006, Page 9, paragraph 1.

http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

[19] Houston Chronicle, Vaccine Proposal Likely to Stir Debate, by Todd

Ackerman. Jan. 10, 2007.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4459579.html.

[20] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services

Administration National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/

***

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ats-ap_health11feb03,0,5076229.story?coll=ny-\

leadhealthnews-headlines

Texas Gov. Orders Anti-Cancer Vaccine

By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON

Associated Press Writer

February 3, 2007, 6:26 AM EST

AUSTIN, Texas -- Some conservatives and parents' rights groups worry that

requiring girls to get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that

causes cervical cancer would condone premarital sex and interfere with the way

they raise their children.

By using an executive order that bypassed the Legislature, Republican Gov. Rick

-- himself a conservative -- on Friday avoided such opposition, making

Texas the first state to mandate that schoolgirls get vaccinated against the

virus.

Beginning in September 2008, girls entering the sixth grade will have to receive

Gardasil, Merck & Co.'s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus,

or HPV.

also directed state health authorities to make the vaccine available free

to girls 9 to 18 who are uninsured or whose insurance does not cover vaccines.

In addition, he ordered that Medicaid offer Gardasil to women ages 19 to 21.

, a conservative Christian who opposes abortion and stem-cell research

using embryonic cells, counts on the religious right for his political base. But

he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no different from the one that

protects children against polio.

" The HPV vaccine provides us with an incredible opportunity to effectively

target and prevent cervical cancer, " he said.

Opponents say should have let the Legislature decide whether to impose a

mandate.

" He's circumventing the will of the people, " said Dawn , president of

Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education, a citizens group that fought for the

right to opt out of other vaccine requirements. " There are bills filed. There's

no emergency except in the boardrooms of Merck, where this is failing to gain

the support that they had expected. "

Texas allows parents to opt out of inoculations by filing an affidavit objecting

to the vaccine on religious or philosophical reasons. Conservative groups say

such provisions still interfere with parents' rights to make medical decisions

for their children.

The executive order is effective until or a successor changes it, and the

Legislature has no authority to repeal it, said spokeswoman Krista Moody.

Moody said the Texas Constitution permits the governor, as head of the executive

branch, to order other members of the executive branch to adopt rules like this

one.

The federal government approved Gardasil in June, and a government advisory

panel has recommended that all girls get the shots at 11 and 12, before they are

likely to be sexually active.

Merck could generate billions in sales if Gardasil -- at $360 for the three-shot

regimen -- were made mandatory across the country. Most insurance companies now

cover the vaccine, which has been shown to have no serious side effects.

The New Jersey-based drug company is bankrolling efforts to pass state laws

across the country mandating Gardasil for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled

its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government,

an advocacy group made up of female state legislators around the country.

has ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three

lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, 's former chief of staff. His current

chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi,

is a state director for Women in Government.

The governor also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during

his re-election campaign.

A top official from Merck's vaccine division sits on Women in Government's

business council, and many of the bills around the country have been introduced

by members of Women in Government.

Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore would not say how much the company is spending

on lobbyists or how much it has donated to Women in Government. Crosby,

the group's president, also declined to specify how much the drug company gave.

***

Other Helpful Articles and

[Guest guest]

As much as I am against this vaccine mandate, I find some info in this post

INACCURATE, which put a doubt in mind about the accuracy of the rest of the

points made and listed as " facts " in the this post.

1. As far as I know in the State of Texas, private and parochial schools

have to accept vaccination exemption. I have two children, one homeschooled

and the other is in private school with no problems about vaccine

exemptions.

2. As for obtaining the exemption was a breeze compared to any other

bureaucratic processes I have encountered, and it took about 1 week from the

moment I applied for it till I got it.

[PROVE] ALERT: Gov of Texas Orders STD

Vaccination on 6th Grade Girls

> Dear Friends,

>

> Even though the states of Michigan, land, and Indiana have killed,

> pulled down, or gutted proposed legislation to mandate the controversial

> new vaccine called Gardasil made by Merck for the sexually transmitted

> virus HPV, our Texas governor Rick did the unthinkable by bypassing

> the entire Texas legislature from the process and issuing an intrusive

> executive order forcing all of our 11 and 12 year old little girls to be

> vaccinated against this sexually transmitted virus in order to attend the

> 6th grade!

>

> IMMEDIATE responses to your Texas state senator and representative

> expressing your opposition is needed!

>

> There are several brave legislators that are working hard at trying to

> reverse this, but in order for other legislators to be receptive and sign

> onto and support these efforts, they need to know that the people who

> voted to put them into office are outraged by the governor's actions.

> Please make your voice heard NOW!

>

> The governor is hiding behind the claim that parents can opt out of this

> mandate, but he is not telling parents the truth that in many cases, the

> exemption isn't worth the piece of paper it is printed on: private and

> parochial schools don't have to accept the exemption, physicians do not

> have to accept the exemption and many throw families out of their

> practices for not receiving all state mandated vaccines, and some

> insurance companies are discriminating against families whose kids have

> not received all the vaccines on the state's required list. Additionally,

> the exemption process is a bureaucratic nightmare requiring written

> requests to the State Health Department in Austin forcing the disclosure

> of your children's full names, birthdates, and mailing address. Sometimes

> these forms take weeks to be mailed out by the health department

> disrupting school attendance and the forms must be notarized and

> repeatedly submitted every 2 years.

>

> If you don't know who represents you, you can link to

> http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/

> and enter your address. Click on the links provided for your Texas State

> Senator and Texas State Representative to obtain their phone, fax, and

> email. Forward this alert to your friends and family and ask them to help

> flood the legislature with messages that this is a totally unacceptable

> abuse of power and demanding that something be done by the legislature to

> reverse this and prevent it from happening again.

>

> Thank you!

> Sincerely,

> Dawn

> Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education (PROVE)

> www.vaccineinfo.net

>

> Here are a handful of talking points to consider:

>

> 1) Governor 's Executive Order, that MANDATES the HPV vaccine for 6th

> grade girls, circumvents the legislative process by usurping the authority

> of our elected representatives to debate and decide bills already filed in

> the Texas legislature.

>

> 2) This MANDATE usurps the rights of the parents of Texas to make medical

> decisions for their minor children by requiring this vaccine. It is the

> parents who have to live with the consequences if their child is injured

> by the HPV vaccine, not the governor or the state of Texas. Texas vaccine

> exemptions don't apply in many cases so parents aren't really free to say

> no to this shot if it is mandated.

>

> 3) This MANDATE forces our little girls to be " experiments " for the new

> HPV vaccine that has only been on the market since June of 2006 - less

> than one year! It is made by Merck - the same drug makers as Vioxx! There

> are already 82 reports of serious adverse events filed with the FDA

> following the administration of this vaccine.

>

> ***

>

> Oppose Governor 's Executive Order Mandating HPV Vaccine for 6th

> Grade Girls:

> What Do We Really Know About the HPV Vaccine?

>

> QUESTIONABLE NECESSITY AND EFFECTIVENESS

>

> The American Cancer Society says that even though infection with the

> sexually transmitted virus HPV is an important risk factor for cervical

> cancer, most women with HPV infection do not get cervical cancer. Doctors

> believe other factors must come into play for this cancer to develop. Some

> of these factors are smoking, HIV infection, Chlamydia infection, diet,

> long-term use of birth control pills, multiple pregnancies, low income,

> mothers who took hormonal drug DES, and family history. [1] These are

> not typical risk factors affecting junior high girls.

>

> According to the National Institutes of Health National Cancer institute,

> in more than 90% of the cases, HPV infections are harmless and go away

> without treatment. [2]

>

> Also, according to the CDC, most cervical cancer can be prevented and

> cervical cancer is very rare in women who get regular PAP tests.[3]

> Cervical Cancer is not a major killer in the state of Texas thanks to PAP

> screenings: in 2000, there were 371 deaths from cervical cancer, in 2001

> there were 352 and in 2002 there were 329. [4]

>

> The CDC says there are more than 100 strains or types of HPV and over 30

> strains are sexually transmitted. [5] Yet the vaccine under consideration

> for mandate covers only 4 strains. [6] About 30% of cervical cancers

> can't be prevented by the vaccine, so women will still need regular

> cervical cancer screenings. [7].

>

> The only current vaccine manufacturer for the HPV vaccine, Merck, admits

> on their package insert that the duration of immunity from the vaccine is

> unknown. [8] In clinical trials, the vaccine's effectiveness was only

> followed for 4 years.[9] Yet we do know from the CDC that the incubation

> period for the HPV virus is about 20 years [10] and the median age of

> women diagnosed with cervical cancer is 48 [11]. Therefore, no claims to

> proof of cervical cancer prevention by vaccinating preteen girls should be

> made.

>

> QUESTIONABLE SAFETY

>

> The HPV vaccine Gardasil was approved by the FDA on June 8, 2006 after 6

> months of review.[12] It has been on the market for less than 1 year.

>

> The chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious

> diseases was quoted in the Washington Post in response to a proposed

> mandate in Washington D.C. saying that he thought it was premature to

> recommend making the vaccine mandatory. " I think it's too early, " said

> ph A. Bocchini,. " This is a new vaccine. It would be wise to wait until

> we have additional information about the safety of the vaccine. " [13]

>

> Dr. Meyers, director of the National Network for Immunization

> Information, was quoted in the Baltimore Sun in response to a proposed

> bill in land to mandate HPV vaccines for 6th grade girls, " A lot of us

> are worried it's a little early to be pushing a mandated HPV vaccine. " He

> also said " It's not the vaccine community pushing for this. " The article

> spotlighted HPV vaccine manufacturer Merck's aggressive role in pushing

> for a mandate where across the U.S., HPV vaccine mandates could mean $4

> billion dollars in sales for Merck [14] who is currently plagued by

> lawsuits for withholding critical safety information to doctors and

> patients about their popular painkiller drug Vioxx.[15]

>

> The FDA's Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System has already received 82

> reports of serious adverse events following HPV vaccination with Gardasil

> since its approval last June. [16]

>

> More questions remain. Disclaimers printed on the manufacturer's package

> inset state that the vaccine has not been tested for it's own ability to

> cause cancer [17] and the effect on a woman's reproductive capacity is

> unknown. [18] Additionally, the vaccine is genetically engineered yet the

> manufacturer admits it has not tested the vaccine for genotoxicity[17]

> (testing to see if the vaccine is toxic to our own human DNA). Each dose

> of the vaccine contains 225 mcg of aluminum [6] which means girls

> receiving all 3 HPV doses will be directly injected with 675 mcg of

> aluminum.

>

> QUESTIONABLE COST

>

> The retail cost of the vaccine is $120 per dose, or $360 for the full

> series of 3 shots. [7] According to one of the authors of the bills

> filed, Sen. Van de Putte, there are 162,000 6th grade girls[19]

> which translates to forcing Texas families paying over $58 million dollars

> not including the doctor visits for a vaccine not proven to prevent

> cervical cancer. This is a high price to force families to pay especially

> for families skeptical of the necessity, efficacy, or safety of the

> vaccine. Merck is absolved from liability for the injuries and deaths

> caused by the HPV vaccine through the National Childhood Vaccine Injury

> Act of 1986 [20] leaving families to deal with the emotional and monetary

> costs of the harm caused by the vaccine to their daughters on their own.

>

> The vaccine is available to anyone who wants it, so it does not need to be

> mandated. Federal health programs such as Vaccines for Children cover the

> HPV vaccine to children and teens under 19 years of age, who are either

> uninsured, Medicaid-eligible, American Indian, or Alaska Native. The VFC

> Program also allows children and teens to get VFC vaccines through

> Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health Centers, if their

> private health insurance does not cover the vaccine [7], so insurance

> mandates which raise the cost of insurance for everyone who does not want

> or need the vaccine are not necessary.

>

> REFERENCES

>

> [1] The American Cancer Society, What Causes Cancer of the Cervix.

>

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_2X_What_causes_cancer_of_the_c\

ervix_Can_it_be_prevented_8.asp?sitearea=

>

> [2] The National Institutes for Health, National Cancer Institute.

> http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/cervical-cancer-vaccine1102

>

> [3] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cervical Cancer

> Screening and Prevention.

>

http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/CervicalCancerScreeningPrevention8-3-2005.ppt#267,10,\

Most

> cervical cancer can be prevented

>

> [4] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention United States Cancer

> Statistics. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/

>

> [5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sexually Transmitted

> Diseases, Genital HPV Infection - CDC Fact Sheet.

> http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm

>

> [6] Gardasil package Insert. 2006. Page 1.

> http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

>

> [7] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV Vaccine Questions and

> Answers.

> http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm

>

> [8] Gardasil package Insert. 2006. Page 5, paragraph 6.

> http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

>

> [9] Gardasil package Insert. 2006. Page 2, paragraph 2.

> http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

>

> [10] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization

> Program, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Minutes of the

> October 26-27, 2005 ACIP meeting, p. 57.

>

> http://www.cdc.gov/nip/acip/minutes/acip-min-oct05.pdf

>

> [11] National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Cancer Stat

> Fact Sheets

> http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/cervix.html

>

> [12] FDA News, Press Release.

> http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01385.html

>

> [13] The Washington Post, " D.C. Bill Would Mandate Vaccine " by Nikita

> and Rob Stein. January 10, 2007, p. A01.

>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/09/AR2007010901386.\

html

>

> [14] The Baltimore Sun, " Drug Firm Pushes Vaccine Mandate, Merck Lobbies

> Md. On HPV Preventive. by erman, January 29, 2007.

>

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.md.cervical29jan29,0,166914.story

>

> [15] The Star-Ledger, " Attorneys Lay Out Cases to Open Double Vioxx

> Trial " , by Todd, January 23, 2007.

>

http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-0/1169532761221410.xm\

l & coll=1

>

> [16]

> http://www.medalerts.org/vaersdb/findfield.php?PAGENO=1 & PERPAGE=10 & VAX=HPV4

>

> [17] Gardasil package Insert. 2006, Page 8, paragraph 17.

> http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

>

> [18] Gardasil package Insert. 2006, Page 9, paragraph 1.

> http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/hpvmer060806LB.pdf

>

> [19] Houston Chronicle, Vaccine Proposal Likely to Stir Debate, by Todd

> Ackerman. Jan. 10, 2007.

> http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4459579.html.

>

> [20] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and

> Services Administration National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

> http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/

>

> ***

>

>

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ats-ap_health11feb03,0,5076229.story?coll=ny-\

leadhealthnews-headlines

>

> Texas Gov. Orders Anti-Cancer Vaccine

>

> By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON

> Associated Press Writer

>

> February 3, 2007, 6:26 AM EST

>

> AUSTIN, Texas -- Some conservatives and parents' rights groups worry that

> requiring girls to get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus

> that causes cervical cancer would condone premarital sex and interfere

> with the way they raise their children.

>

> By using an executive order that bypassed the Legislature, Republican Gov.

> Rick -- himself a conservative -- on Friday avoided such opposition,

> making Texas the first state to mandate that schoolgirls get vaccinated

> against the virus.

>

> Beginning in September 2008, girls entering the sixth grade will have to

> receive Gardasil, Merck & Co.'s new vaccine against strains of the human

> papillomavirus, or HPV.

>

> also directed state health authorities to make the vaccine available

> free to girls 9 to 18 who are uninsured or whose insurance does not cover

> vaccines. In addition, he ordered that Medicaid offer Gardasil to women

> ages 19 to 21.

>

> , a conservative Christian who opposes abortion and stem-cell

> research using embryonic cells, counts on the religious right for his

> political base. But he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no

> different from the one that protects children against polio.

>

> " The HPV vaccine provides us with an incredible opportunity to effectively

> target and prevent cervical cancer, " he said.

>

> Opponents say should have let the Legislature decide whether to

> impose a mandate.

>

> " He's circumventing the will of the people, " said Dawn ,

> president of Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education, a citizens group

> that fought for the right to opt out of other vaccine requirements. " There

> are bills filed. There's no emergency except in the boardrooms of Merck,

> where this is failing to gain the support that they had expected. "

>

> Texas allows parents to opt out of inoculations by filing an affidavit

> objecting to the vaccine on religious or philosophical reasons.

> Conservative groups say such provisions still interfere with parents'

> rights to make medical decisions for their children.

>

> The executive order is effective until or a successor changes it,

> and the Legislature has no authority to repeal it, said spokeswoman

> Krista Moody. Moody said the Texas Constitution permits the governor, as

> head of the executive branch, to order other members of the executive

> branch to adopt rules like this one.

>

> The federal government approved Gardasil in June, and a government

> advisory panel has recommended that all girls get the shots at 11 and 12,

> before they are likely to be sexually active.

>

> Merck could generate billions in sales if Gardasil -- at $360 for the

> three-shot regimen -- were made mandatory across the country. Most

> insurance companies now cover the vaccine, which has been shown to have no

> serious side effects.

>

> The New Jersey-based drug company is bankrolling efforts to pass state

> laws across the country mandating Gardasil for girls as young as 11 or 12.

> It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through

> Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators

> around the country.

>

> has ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's

> three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, 's former chief of staff.

> His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep.

> Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.

>

> The governor also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee

> during his re-election campaign.

>

> A top official from Merck's vaccine division sits on Women in Government's

> business council, and many of the bills around the country have been

> introduced by members of Women in Government.

>

> Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore would not say how much the company is

> spending on lobbyists or how much it has donated to Women in Government.

> Crosby, the group's president, also declined to specify how much the

> drug company gave.

>

> ***

>

> Other Helpful Articles and