Texas now requires STD vaccine for young girls
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont....449bc88c.html
In summary, this vaccine would treat human papilomavirus, which can cause cervical cancer. I'm disturbed by this on a number of levels: 1) why an executive order, and not the normal process? 2) why make a vaccine for a "lifestyle disease" mandatory? 3) why is it so hard for parents to opt out? |
When it comes to communicable diseases like measels, mumps, etc, I am totally on the vaccination bandwagon. I think the growing number of parents refusing to vaccinate their children are crazy. This vaccination, however, is totally different. My daughter will not be in danger of getting HPV just because she sits next to someone in Algebra who has it. That it is being covered by insurance and offered free to those with low income is great. But don't force it on me and my family.
That said, boys get HPV too. If one of the goals of this order is to eradicate the virus, then boys should be required to receive the vaccination as well. |
Quote:
Some types of HPV can cause cervical cancer, although the majority of HPV infections do not progress to cervical cancer. About 14,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year in the United States, and 3,900 die from it. Most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular Pap screenings, which can detect pre-cancerous cells. Other strains of HPV are associated with vulvar cancer, anal cancer (in both men and women), and cancer of the penis (a rare cancer). I wonder how much of a pain the state will make it to opt out. That they would make this mandatory is ridiculous. If it's preventing cancer I'm concerned with in my daughter, I'll make sure she has regular Pap screenings. |
Is there a reason not to be vaccinated apart from objecting to a government imposed requirement?
|
Quote:
it's one thing to go beta with software. It's quite another to go beta with your body. if you were offered a HIV vaccine tomorrow, would you take it? |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
OK. I guess public health issue is not the correct terminology. I mean, it's not like TB or chicken pox or any of the other things they vaccinate for. Kids aren't going to get it at school unless they are dropping their pants under the bleachers.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
As a father of 3 girls here in the great state of texas I find this to be disturbing on one hand and kind of a relief on the other.
Disturbing: - Why an executive order? I would want to look real close at the safety profile of this vaccination. Is it a live vaccine or just an antigen? Don't really know that much. How effective is the vaccine? Does the risks outweight the benefit? Relief: - It is always a concern about teaching my girls about birthcontrol. You teach them correct principles, chastity and virtue... Then you qualify it with, just in case don't forget to make him wear a glove? Or, oh, by the way get this vaccine just in case? - When I was discussing this with my wife, the way I would approach the vaccine is that you don't know who she is going to marry. She might marry someone who joined the church later on or someone who made past mistakes and has since turned their life around. That person can still, unwittingly, pass along HPV and put her at risk. - This takes the decision out of my hands and she gets the vaccine, well, because the State says so. |
NS, it is fairly well established that circumcision helps prevent transmission of HIV to males.
Should the governor make an executive order that all males in public schools be circumcised? Or should some African countries do this, given that their future is at stake, with greater than 30% of the population HIV+? Is someone an irresponsible parent if they don't give their son an edge in preventing HIV infection? And aren't you a bit curious about the governor of TExas' ties to the pharmaceutical company that made this vaccine? (yes, he has ties). What Perry doesn't realize is that he just harmed this vaccine more than he could possibly imagine. Or maybe that was his intention, but I don't think he is nearly that intelligent and cunning. When you force the public into something that it isn't ready for, you create distrust. And ultimately rejection. |
Quote:
Also, why just girls? As Farrah noted HPV can cause anal and penial cancer. Plus, carrier boys would be spreading the disease to the girls. If there is going to be the requirement at all, then have it be for boys too. |
I think it would be unprecendented to mandate a vaccine to prevent a disease (cervical cancer) you (males) cannot get.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
Here is a decent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/23/2389 Mandating this vaccine has a serious chance of aiding the movement against ALL vaccines. |
Here's an article mainly about the cost of it, and how doctors are losing money stocking it and administrating it:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/condi....ap/index.html Why is it so foreign to Americans, that they pay for services rendered. If you want a $300 vaccine for your kid, then pay it. Do you think that by having insurance cover it, it is suddenly free? |
The safety of the vaccine and the cost of the vaccine are obviously legitimate issues and worthy of consideration. The point I was trying to make was that if your only reason for refusing to vaccinate your child was because you don't like the implication that your child might be having sex, then you are being foolhardy.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
it's the people that don't get regular care that are much more likely to get cancer. |
The male cervix
Quote:
This is from the CDC: It is possible that vaccinating males will have health benefits for them by preventing genital warts and rare cancers, such as penile and anal cancer. It is also possible that vaccinating boys/men will have indirect health benefits for girls/women. Studies are now being done to find out if the vaccine works to prevent HPV infection and disease in males. When more information is available, this vaccine may be licensed and recommended for boys/men as well. BTW: Thanks for enlightening me... And all these years I thought men had cervixes too. |
Sure require a vaccination for boys to prevent genital warts.
They'll never be able to prove that this will prevent penile and anal cancer IMO, because the disease is too rare. So it is just speculation. But your argument was that men should be vaccinated to prevent disease in women. I am saying that it is unprecedented to give someone a vaccine when it won't prevent disease in that person (outside of genital warts). |
I know. I know. Because we get pregnant... Because we have cervixes...
We take all the responsibility. All the time. |
All times are GMT. The time now is 07:32 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.