Gardisil Mandatory in TX?

Question

I had to comment, I am watching the local news and my governor has just mandated a series of 3 vaccines for GIRLS aged 11-12, before the start of the 2008 school year. Gardisil is a vaccine that protects against HPV which is a sexually transmitted disease a symptom of which can be cervical cancer in women.

Boys can carry the virus, and infect their sex partners, but they are not being required to take the vaccines at this point.

Personally I am pretty liberal about things but I can't believe this mandate and I disagree with it. Right here in the Bible Belt!

Texas parents want to weigh in on this one?

Anyone else?

Just to give a short bio. I am a 38 yr old female. I have worked with a lot of teen girls. I have no children of my own. As I said, politically, I usually lean pretty far to the left.

I will also add that they were talking about costs of the vaccines on this report. They are pretty high right now. They are anticipating a huge drop in the cost knowing that it will be mandated...it is a situation of forced demand and if the prices continue to be high, it would probably be considered price gouging.

I can definitely agree that such a positive stride toward preventing cancer in women is a great thing. If I had daughters I would want them to have it. I guess what rubs me wrong is making this a law that overrides parental objection.

There are waivers that parents can sign for religous convictions that can keep some girls from having to take the 3 shots. But religion is not the only factor why one would not take the med. For one it is new. For two, why aren't the boys lining up?

Answer 1

First of all I find it refreshing that someone knows that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. I was beginning to think I was alone in that.

I am not from Texas but I am a parent, I have seen many medicines and drugs get pulled off of the market because they are approved to soon and turned out to be dangerous.

My daughter was recently offered the shot at a checkup and my husband and I decided to wait till at least next year if it is still considered safe we may get it for her next year when she is 14. She knows how dangerous sex is and I have every confidence she will wait at least till high school, before she risk it. Hopefully longer. I hope for Texas sake that I am being paranoid about the new shot.

Answer 2

I have to respectfully disagree with you. They mandate other vaccines... many of which prevent treatable illnesses, yet they're required. Guardasil prevents CANCER... I personally can't understand (as the mother of an 11 yr old girl) why anyone would NOT want their child to have this vaccine.

Bible belt or not... your daughter is one day going to have sex. Maybe when she's 13, maybe when she's 23... but someday she WILL. Isn't it better that she be protected from such a devastating and life-threatening disease later in life?

In other parts of the country, we have a very different problem. Our insurance companies aren't even COVERING these shots yet (which range from $300-600 for the series). I need to find out if our insurance does or not. I hope my daughter is wise enough to wait... but I'm one who will provide birth control and any other safeguard I can when she tells me she's ready for it. I may not agree with it... but I'd rather be safe than sorry. You just can't regulate what they do 24/7. (I know... I got pregnant at 18).

Answer 3

I'm a Texas parent to two girls. This sounds good on the surface, but I have a bad feeling about it. The drug company, Merck, is entirely too cozy with Gov. Zoolander (Perry). I am not convinced that they have the best interests of my children at heart or their own pocketbooks. I have read some disturbing things about the vaccine not being proven safe.
I am not usually anti-vaccine and my girls are completely up to date, but I may hold off on this one.
Isn't this the same company that put out VIOX?

Answer 4

I'm not from Texas, but I'll give you my opinion. This vaccine is to help prevent a virus that causes cervical cancer in girls/women. Boys don't get the vaccine because the virus doesn't give them cancer. Just because someone gets a vaccine, doesn't mean they loose all common sense and suddenly want to be sexually active. If, for example, you get a tetanus shot, it doesn't mean you run around purposely stabbing yourself with rusty nails.

Answer 5

i'm not a parent and i live in california but i'm glad they've passed this in texas. i hope california's bill passes too. i don't see any reason why you wouldn't want to protect your daughters from a potentially deadly disease, even if it is transmitted by sex. hepatitis is transmitted by sex as well and we still vaccinate people against that.