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February 6, 2007

HPV vaccine debate: Coming soon to a state near you

By now we've all seen those commercials about HPV (human papillomavirus) that causes cervical cancer in women. What's more, there is now a vaccine on the market that is approved to prevent HPV, and thus cervical cancer. But this medical advancement is stirring up controversy from Charlottesville to Corpus Christi, Seattle to St. Augustine, Louisville to Lubbock, as states move toward passing mandates for school-aged girls.

Texas Governor Rick Perry became the first to mandate the vaccine through an executive order, even against the urging of some of his fellow Republicans. AP reported,

Lawmakers should have been allowed to hear from doctors, scientists and patients before the state implemented such a sweeping mandate, said state Sen. Jane Nelson, chairwoman of the health and human services committee.

"This is not an emergency," said Nelson, adding that she plans to ask Attorney General Greg Abbott for an opinion on the legality of Perry's order. "It needs to be discussed and debated."

The critics also argue that mandating the vaccine "trample[s] parents' rights and promote[s] premarital sex." But Perry defends his decision, saying, "Providing the HPV vaccine doesn't promote sexual promiscuity any more than providing the Hepatitis B vaccine promotes drug use. If the medical community developed a vaccine for lung cancer, would the same critics oppose it claiming it would encourage smoking?"

The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill yesterday that would "require all girls entering middle school to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus," sparking a similar debate in that state. Both states will allow opting out for parents who argue that it violates their religious beliefs.

So what role should schools play? This editorial from The Seattle Times notes,

A public-health affiliate of George Washington University found that state laws requiring immunization as a condition of school enrollment increased the use of vaccines, reduced disease and lessened racial disparities in vaccine coverage.

According to the university's public-health arm, adolescents, especially from minority and low-income communities, have less access to care, and a voluntary HPV vaccine is less likely to reach them, contributing further to health disparities.

Other critics argue that "the government is taking control away from them and that this is simply a money-making venture for Merck, producer of the Gardasil vaccine, the only currently approved HPV vaccine." While proponents of the vaccine point out, "Each year, 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer; one-third of them will die from it. The HPV vaccine has the potential to decrease these numbers and one day eradicate cervical cancer, in a way similar to what vaccines did for polio, chickenpox and measles."

What's your take on the issue? Let us know by sharing a comment below.

Posted February 6, 2007 4:34 PM | Health & Wellness

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