Gardasil, Cervical Cancer and an Update on Mandatory Vaccination
A year ago, Merck’s cervical cancer vaccine- Gardasil® - has been approved by the FDA for use across the United States for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections of strains of human papilloma virus (HPV) linked to most cervical cancers and genital warts and is recommended for young girls and women aged 11 to 26.
Last February, mandatory vaccination of Gardasil® took effect in the state of Texas only to be overturned by a legislature in April. While most states have proposed laws to make Gardasil® vaccination a mandate, no one followed Texas State.
However, the big issue remains whether whose decision it is to have your daughter vaccinated by Gardasil® – the parents’ (especially in the case of the young girls) or the State’s?
It is understandable though that conservative Christians and watchdog groups are opposed to it and that they continue to scrutinize the issue and the safety of the vaccine per se.
In my honest opinion, of course mandatory vaccination kind of condones “sexual promiscuity” (words of conservative groups opposing the mandate, not mine) and parents would like to act like parents and would either decide to have their young daughters vaccinated with Gardasil® or they would go against it and act as “watchdogs” instead to their daughter’s sexual life.
[Lest we forget, it is an undeniable fact that agreeing to the vaccination will protect more and more women.]
Of course once the daughter reaches legal age she has the option herself to agree to be vaccinated or not. By then she would have total control of her body – to either become celibate or not - and then protect herself from either unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.
My stand on the issue remains the same (mandate or no mandate) mainly because - isn’t the world already promiscuous at some level? You cannot reverse that fact anymore. And how would one prevent young people from being sexually active, especially in the free world? C’mon guys, let’s think practical and reality.
I don’t care how much Merck earns for every vaccine series of Gardasil® (3-shot series costs 360$), I just want to be thankful that there is a vaccine as such that will prevent humankind from sexually transmitted infections of strains of human papilloma virus (HPV) leading to cervical cancer in women – the second most common type of cancer in women (after breast cancer!).
For sure there will come a time that the cost of this vaccine will plummet down and who knows when it will benefit men as well. (Some states are already offering the vaccine either free or at a reduced cost.)
In Tucson for example, even though the State will not mandate its vaccination, Gardasil® is becoming hugely popular in teen girls and their parents.
According to Dr. Eve Shapiro, who specializes in adolescent medicine and has given at least 400 doses of Gardasil in recent months, now that most insurance covers it:
“The response is huge. Right now, I’m giving it to 14-, 15-year-olds and older — those who are already or nearly sexually active. We wanted to get them covered quickly.
It’s a very big advantage to prevent all that, with this vaccine. This is a safe vaccine that’s been rigorously tested. I don’t see any downside to it But I’m not hearing people say they’re afraid it will make their daughters sexually promiscuous. That just has not been an issue.”
[Tucson pediatricians are reporting that more than 90 percent of families are choosing to have teen daughters vaccinated.]
I think these families are thinking straight. Or maybe the conservative authorities and so called citizen watchdog groups are just giving the general population less credit on this matter?
My two cents anyway…
What do you think? And how do you feel about all this issue on Gardasil®?
Tags: cervical-cancer, Gardasil, hpvRelated Stories
POSTED IN: on anti-cancer ingredients, on cervical cancer
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