Texas Gov. orders girls to get cancer vaccine from his friend's company Merck

[Spencer]

You have got to love Texas.  Thank heaven for that principled leader of men, Rick Perry.  I thought the Texas governor didn't have a lot of power?  I also thought that only President Bush and Hugo Chavez ruled by executive mandate?

Regardless, it is a scary state, and our friends in Texas (like Kevin) should flee ASAP.

Texas Requires Cancer Vaccine for Girls

Feb 02 3:31 PM US/Eastern
   
By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON
Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN (AP) -- Gov. Rick Perry ordered Friday that schoolgirls in Texas must be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, making Texas the first state to require the shots.

The girls will have to get Merck & Co.'s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass laws in state legislatures across the country mandating it Gardasil vaccine for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators around the country.

Details of the order were not immediately available, but the governor's office confirmed to The Associated Press that he was signing the order and he would comment Friday afternoon.

Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, his former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.

Toomey was expected to be able to woo conservative legislators concerned about the requirement stepping on parent's rights and about signaling tacit approval of sexual activity to young girls. Delisi, as head of the House public health committee, which likely would have considered legislation filed by a Democratic member, also would have helped ease conservative opposition.

Perry also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.

It wasn't immediately clear how long the order would last and whether the legislation was still necessary. However it could have been difficult to muster support from lawmakers who champion abstinence education and parents' rights.

Perry, a conservative Christian who opposes abortion rights and stem- cell research using embryonic cells, counts on the religious right for his political base.

But he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no different than the one that protects children against polio.

"If there are diseases in our society that are going to cost us large amounts of money, it just makes good economic sense, not to mention the health and well being of these individuals to have those vaccines available," he said.

Texas allows parents to opt out of inoculations by filing an affidavit stating that he or she objected to the vaccine for religious or philosophical reasons.

Even with such provisions, however, conservative groups say mandates take away parents' rights to be the primary medical decision maker for their children.

The federal government approved Gardasil in June, and a government advisory panel has recommended that all girls get the shots at 11 and 12, before they are likely to be sexually active.

The New Jersey-based drug company could generate billions in sales if Gardasil _ at $360 for the three-shot regimen _ were made mandatory across the country. Most insurance companies now cover the vaccine, which has been shown to have no serious side effects.

Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore would not say how much the company is spending on lobbyists or how much it has donated to Women in Government. Susan Crosby, the group's president, also declined to specify how much the drug company gave.

A top official from Merck's vaccine division sits on Women in Government's business council, and many of the bills around the country have been introduced by members of Women in Government.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/02/D8N1PVG80.html

[KBCraig]

Regardless, it is a scary state, and our friends in Texas (like Kevin) should flee ASAP.

"Have I mentioned that Texas sucks?" 

[Otosan]

Looks like to me it is time to by Merck stock......    

[anthonybpugh]

and you would think that a lot of women would do this on their own without any prompting from the government. 

[Otosan]

But he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no different than the one that protects children against polio.

I read some where (and I guess I should look up the facts) that more people got sick from the polio shots than would have gotten sick without the polio shot.
How many of these young girls will get sick and die from the shot?   How will the shot effect the young girls health say 10, 20.....50 yrs down the road?
I am not sure, but I believe that this decision should be left up to the parents, and I am not sure if the parents should make a life altering decision on unknow and maybe future sex habits of their child.

[tracysaboe]

6th grade!

This law's discusting.

Tracy

[aworldnervelink]

How many of these young girls will get sick and die from the shot?

None - the HPV vaccine is made up of the proteins which form the outer layer of the virus, and is inert. It is a known fact that the oral polio vaccine could cause the disease in rare cases, but this is no longer recommended for use.

[joeyforpresident]

Take a little gander at what is being put into other Merck vaccines:

(hint: aborted fetal tissue, processed swine flesh, etc.)

[link]http://www.vaclib.org/toc.htm#ingredients[/link]

[link]http://befreetech.com/vaccine_poisons.htm[/link]

Then, the question that must be asked above EVERYTHING is: what legal basis does an executive order have?

There are THREE branches of government, folks. THREE.

The executive order is a law from the executive branch, but it carries no weight. Someone agree with me on this, please.

I'm getting out of Texas as soon as I can...

[earthhaven]

My parents never vaccinated myself or my brothers against anything except tetanus and I've always been healthier than most of my friends, as have they. My teachers used to tell me I was healthy thanks to all the vaccinated people around me.

[Raineyrocks]

My parents never vaccinated myself or my brothers against anything except tetanus and I've always been healthier than most of my friends, as have they. My teachers used to tell me I was healthy thanks to all the vaccinated people around me.

It figures the teacher would say that and try to make you feel "lucky" and grateful that other parents vaccinated their kids.  I wish I wouldn't have gotten my children vaccinated.  If I only knew then what I know now.

[slim]

Ahh we got to love how the people in charge of the government reward their friends and punish their enemies. 

[tracysaboe]

Anybody think about how, such a vaccine probably encourages sexual activity amount teenagaers, and therefore unwanted pregnancies, and therefore abortions?

This act by a Republican is going to encourage abortions in his state.

Definitely not the conservative party anymore.

Tracy

[joeyforpresident]

There are abortions going on in the state regardless.

Time has come to just start yanking kids out of the public schools...at elementary school levels at least.

[Dreepa]

Anybody think about how, such a vaccine probably encourages sexual activity amount teenagaers, and therefore unwanted pregnancies, and therefore abortions?

This act by a Republican is going to encourage abortions in his state.

Definitely not the conservative party anymore.

That to me is a stretch... I doubt the vaccine encourages sex in kids... do you really think that the prevention of one STD (but not the others) will stop kids from having sex?

[tracysaboe]

Marginally maybe.

Tracy