It's the daughters of lower-income, minority families who are really at risk. That's why state-level debates over whether to make the vaccine mandatory for 11- and 12-year-old girls are so important. Women’s health advocates are concerned that lower-income girls -- those who need the vaccine most -- won't get the shots unless they are required for school admission. "Drop-out rates begin at 13," said Cynthia Dailard*, senior public policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute. "How do we reach these individuals before they're disconnected from health care later in life? This is a key way to do that." Historically, requiring vaccines for school attendance has helped to close racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic gaps in immunization rates.So making the vaccine mandatory seems to be more about making it accessible to everyone then BIG BROTHER trying to usurp your parental rights. I am also assuming that many insurance companies would choose not to cover the vaccine unless it was mandatory.
Conservative Christian groups have been the most vocal opponents of mandatory vaccination, pushing talking points on how it will lead to a spike in teen sex. "They may see it as a license to engage in premarital sex," the Family Research Council told the British publication NewScientist, and Leslee Unruh, president of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, said HPV is "100 percent preventable with proper sexual behavior. Premarital sex is dangerous, even deadly. Let's not encourage it by vaccinating 10-year-olds so they think they're safe." They also charge that mandatory immunization will take control away from parents, even though families with religious or moral objections would be allowed to opt out.
This is the most bogus argument against the vaccine. Teens have sex, if fear of unwanted pregnancies and other STD's doesn't stop them, why they think that not receiving a measly HPV vaccine would is beyond me. And to be honest marital sex can be just as deadly depending on the sexual history of your spouse and if your spouse remains faithful throughout your marriage. So to tell young girls that as long as they do not have sex outside of marriage they will not contract a STD is a lie.
A growing anti-vaccine movement has also spoken out against it on the grounds that it will have adverse health effects. "This is not just about teenagers having sex, it is also about whether Gardasil has been proven safe and effective for little girls," says a press release from the National Vaccine Information Center, a group that opposes all mandatory vaccination. According to the CDC, however, the vaccine "has been tested in over 11,000 females (ages 9-26 years) around the world. These studies have shown no serious side effects."
This groups concerns I give more weight too. I would definitely want to bone up on the possible adverse health effects before deciding to vaccinate or not to vaccinate. Bottom line parents need to educate themselves about the vaccine and then make the best decision they can for their family.
2 comments:
I have been discussing and researching this quite a bit. I have to say, in theory I have no problem with this vaccine. However, I do not feel the long term benefits have been proven. Do we know if, ten years down the road, the vaccine will not start mutating internally, and we have in effect given our daughter's HPV? Or, is it something that wears off, like the chicken pox virus has been proving in the Netherlands? A great many adults are getting cases in their late 20's that hospitalize them.
However, if PA was going to require mandatory vaccinations at 11, I would use my rights to fight it, as you can do with traditional vaccines as well (my daughter had a negative reaction to MMR at 4, and we have not has any since.) I would assume the parents of the low income, early drop outs would not be so inclined to do so. I would use the time of those years between then and when she becomes active to follow the studies, and decide later, when she is dating.
I completely agree with the ridiculous argument of the Christian right. Have they forgotten that HPV does not to stop AIDS, herpes, or any other number of venereal diseases, including pregnancy? If they are going to have unprotected sex, they will!
I feel sorry for parents who have to make this decision. It's one of those times when you will not know if you made the right decision for years.
If the push to make it mandatory is just so insurance and medicaid will have to cover it, so everyone who wants it will have access to it and they do offer an opt out for those parents opposed to it (Texas) - I don't see the need to get upset about it.
It seems you have a sensible plan for dealing with the dilemma in place. I think there will be a lot of unanswered questions until the first group of girls who receive it are grown and have kids of their own. Which is a scary proposition for anyone with a daughter who will be among "the first".
Seems they should spend less money on advertising it though. I saw at least 3 commercials for it yesterday and I don't watch that much TV or listen to the radio that often.
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