On 1 Feb 2007 09:53:51 -0800, "TC" <tunder...@hotmail.com> wrote:
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2007/01/31/hscou...
Merck Pushing for Mandatory HPV Vaccination
Drug maker Merck & Co. is helping finance campaigns to get states to
pass legislation that would make it mandatory for girls as young as 11
or 12 to receive a new vaccine that protects against sexually
transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), the Associated Press reported.
Merck makes the vaccine, called Gardasil, which guards against strains
of HPV that cause most cases of cervical cancer. Currently, at least
18 states are debating whether to make the vaccine mandatory for
schoolgirls.
The drug company has given money to Women in Government, an advocacy
group that includes female state legislators throughout the United
States. Many of the state bills advocating the use of Gardasil have
been introduced by members of Women in Government, the AP reported.
Some parents'-rights and conservative groups charge that Merck is
engaging in underhanded lobbying. These groups say making the vaccine
mandatory would encourage premarital sex and interfere with how
parents raise their children.
But Merck said it has been open about the fact that it provides
funding to Women in Government, the AP said.
Gardasil was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June
2006. An FDA advisory panel recommended that all girls get the vaccine
at ages 11 or 12, before they are sexually active.
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I guess the science wasn't strong enough so they have to apply
politics to get vaccine sales up.
TC - Meat Industry Lobbyist
It's apparently the way your political system works.
In Australia, where this vaccine was developed, it is being paid for
out of our universal health scheme.
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