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Jewish World Review Feb. 9, 2007 / 21 Shevat, 5767 Merck lobbyists work for pappilomavirus (HPV) vaccine mandates: Parental rights advocates say mandate premature By Drs. Michael A. Glueck & Robert J. Cihak http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | There is no dispute that vaccines have played a monumental role in promoting public health and safety for children and adults. My concern has been that certain vaccines should not be forced fed or injected without more testing and information given to the public. The papillomavirus (HPV) is one of these. In decisive bold back to back news releases on February 4, 2007, The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons voiced their concerns and issued an advisory statement. BACKGROUND Foreseen by parental rights advocates, the "recommendation" of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Gardasil) was immediately followed by legislative proposals to force 11-year-old girls to receive the vaccine as a condition of school attendance. Merck, which could make $1 billion per year in sales from mandatory Gardasil, is funding lobbyists and funneling money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female legislators. A top official from Merck's vaccine division sits on the Women in Government business council. The company refused to disclose the amount of money it has donated to that group or spent on lobbying. Laws are proposed in at least 18 states, including California, Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas. The bill was narrowly defeated in Michigan. TEXAS HOLDEM Gov. Rick Perry decided to override the Texas legislature, issuing Executive Order RP65 requiring girls entering sixth grade, generally aged 11 to 12, to receive Gardasil. The Executive Order stands until Perry or a successor changes it. "He's circumventing the will of the people," said Dawn Richardson, president of Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education. "There is no emergency except in the boardrooms of Merck, where this is failing to gain the support they expected." A live vote by MSNBC News showed that 65 percent said "Š parents should decide whether or not their daughters are vaccinated" in response to the question "Should a state require that schoolgirls get the shot against human papillomavirus?" There were more than 25,000 responses tallied. Although there is a provision for parents to opt out for religious or philosophical reasons, parents complain that the Order interferes with their right to make medical decisions for their children, noted the Alliance for Human Research Protection. VACCINE EXPENSIVE Pediatricians and gynecologists have been refusing to stock Gardasil because of the $360 price for three doses and "totally inadequate insurance reimbursement." Most will give patients a prescription to get filled and bring back, but the cost to the patient is far more (AP 2/3/07). According to the National Vaccine Information Center, a survey of pediatric practices in Virginia revealed that parents could be charged between $525 and $930 for the series of shots. According to the National Network for Immunization Information director Martin Myers, "many of us are concerned that a mandate may be premature, and it's important for people to realize that this is not as clear-cut as with some previous vaccines." Although Myers says he's enthusiastic about Gardasil, "It's not the vaccine community that's pushing for this" (Immunization News 2/1/07). Gardasil is not approved for use in boys, so it cannot be marketed for this use, though physicians can prescribe it. It is hoped that Gardasil may prevent anal cancer in homosexual men. SUMMARY OF AAPS STATEMENT ABOUT HPV VACCINE 1. The vaccine is claimed to prevent cancer of the cervix. Pap smears have already made advanced cervical cancer rare in the United States. Money spent on this expensive vaccine could likely prevent more cancer if spent on screening clinics for women unable to afford vaccine, Pap smears, or treatment. 2. At best, the vaccine is only partly effective. No study has actually shown cancer prevention, only a reduction in abnormal Pap smears. The longest follow-up period in studies is about 5 years; it usually takes decades for cervical cancer to develop. The vaccine only protects against 70 percent of the strains associated with invasive cancers. Vaccinated women still need Pap smears. 3. Vaccine protection may only last a few years. Boosters may be needed every 10 years, or perhaps every 5. 4. There is no public-health purpose for mandating HPV vaccine for schoolchildren. It will not be transmitted at school unless statutory rape is occurring or hygienic standards are so poor that the school needs to be closed. 5. Proof of safety is lacking. The vaccine is claimed to be safe and "well-tolerated," but studies have involved only a few thousand women, most over 16 years of age, for less than 5 years. In one study, "arthritic symptoms" occurred three times as often in subjects who got the vaccine, compared to subjects who only got the control vaccine. An increased risk of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis‹a deforming, devastating, lifelong disease‹is being watched for. 6. Mandates are medically unethical. All medical procedures, including vaccines, require informed consent, with rare exceptions. Concerning HPV vaccine, the Department of Family Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, concluded: "given concerns for autonomy, justice, as not all persons are at risk, . . . HPV vaccine should not be mandated for school entry" (Vaccine 2006;24:4812-4820). This writer concludes that until more testing and studies are performed and the public has more knowledge of the safety and efficacy of the HPV vaccine -- there is no need to rush to vaccination -- and certainly not mandatory premature inoculation. Editor's Note; This week's column was written by Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., is a multiple award winning writer who comments on medical-legal issues. Robert J. Cihak, M.D., is a Discovery Institute Senior Fellow and a past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. Both JWR contributors are Harvard trained diagnostic radiologists. Comment by clicking here. Archives © 2006,

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