Merck Mandating Vaccine

I don't know if I agree with the mandating of the Gardisil vaccine, but I agree with Becky that it is a good idea to have your girls vaccinated. My 13 year old daughter was vaccinated this month and my 10 year old daughter will be next year. I've have seen, first hand, cervical cancer because of HPV...my mother had a partial hysterectomy 2 years ago because of this. She is fine now, but boy did it scare all of us! If I can do anything to even HELP prevent this from happening to my girls, I'm on board.

Becky
 
In response to the belief that HPV is not transmitted non-sexually:

Please consult:
Czegledy J. Sexual and non-sexual transmission of human papillomavirus. Acta Microbiol Immunol Hung. 2001;48(3-4):511-517.

or

"However, there is also compelling evidence indicating that these viruses can be transmitted through non-sexual routes. These include vertical transmission when an infant passes through the HPV-infected birth canal of the mother during vaginal delivery, and transmission by formites contaminated by HPV-infected cells. The long latent phase of HPV infection poses difficulties for accurate identification of the route of infection in an individual patient. Genital oncogenic HPV infection in a woman should not be treated as a venereal disease exclusively, and such patients should be counselled appropriately." Abstract from:
Tay SK. Genital oncogenic human papillomavirus infection: a short review on the mode of transmission. Ann Acad Med Singapore. Jul 1995;24(4):598-601.

There are more, but I don't want to go crazy here.

By the way, "fomites" are objects (other than a person) which tranmit disease. An example would be a doorknob on a bathroom door or a toilet seat.

-Becky McGilligan
2nd year medical student
 
<<In response to the belief that HPV is not transmitted non-sexually>>

Did someone state that HPV is not transmitted non-sexually? My only comment is that this is rare based on the evidence. As we learn more, the information changes.

It is an excellent point that genital HPV may be trasmitted non-sexually. I am just not convinced the risk is enough to mandate this vaccine. It is possible that future evidence may support such a mandate.
 
The above post wasn't directed at you per se.

Many people believe HPV is primarily an STD and disregard allowing their daughters to be vaccinated because they feel 1) it will "give permission" to have sex outside of marriage and 2) you can only get it through sexual contact.

Previous to your post there were statements flying around talking about chickenpox vaccine being more harmful than getting chickenpox (kind of like saying, "Hey, I had it. I survived. Everyone must. Why do we need a vaccine?") Other posts made mention to doctors and pharmaceutical companies profiting on vaccinations. I just thought it important to lay out actual medical research to support my statements so that they wouldn't be shown in the same light as the other statements.

I hope that future posters, when talking about health matters, use evidence to prove their statements so that someone else's health isn't affected by he-said/she-said statements with no validity. Just my 2 cents worth.
 
Well, I for one was under the impression that HPV was contracted through sex. Thank you for sharing lesser the known risks. As for the previous reason, that is a sincere and IMO valid reason based on my dh and my religious convictions. I don't expect anyone to agree. Thankfully, we still live in a country that gives us the freedom to choose to immunize our children or not based on religious convictions.
 
<<you can only get it through sexual contact>>

Many people do not know the virus is spread through sexual contact that involves only skin-to-skin contact. The AAP is correct that we need to educate the public.
 
>I hesitate in commenting on Merck lobbying for this vaccine
>to be mandated because I HATE pharmaceutical companies. While
>I believe that a lot of drugs have done wonders, I also
>believe most of them are prescribed by doctors who are getting
>big benefits from dealing with the drug reps.
>

>Nancy

Our family doctor admits to this... gets free trips paid for based on prescriptions... and has even prescribed medicine for at least one 'medical need' that we thought was suspect. (Our suspicions were confirmed later by another dr. - a specialist with no interest or possibility of earning a free trip for the two medicines and the 'condition' involved.)

Gibbee
 
Not all doctors are what I like to call "pharmaceutical whores". Visit http://www.nofreelunch.org/ to learn more about the fight against bias.

You might want to find another doctor who has his/her patients at heart and not primarily his wallet. There are those of us out there.
 
This vaccine simply has not been around long enough for us to know the possible side effects of taking it. I don't like to use vaccines until they are "tried and true".

Also, I think the thought of the government mandating this is just too much. Give us the information and let us make the decision. Are we going to let the government dictate all our health decisions? How about mandating that school age children cannot eat fast food anymore? How about the government mandate that a child be removed from his/her parents because they smoke? How about the government dictate how much television a child can watch per week?

The world is not a perfect place and parents don't always make the best decisions regarding their children's health and well being, but a huge institution like the government probably won't do much better when all is said and done. Barring out and out abuse and neglect, the government needs to stay out of how we raise our children.

Maggie:)
 
If anyone ever tries to mandate this vaccine on my kids, they'll have to kill me to get that needle in my child's arm. It's ridiculous to pump millions of kids full of medicine when no one fully knows what the long-term effects are and whether said kids will even reap any benefits from the medicine. But one thing's for sure. Merck will sure reap benefits - millions and millions of them - in the form of dollars. I say, keep your governmental forced bullying away from me. I will decide what's best for my kids, and I will make an INFORMED decision on whether to allow this vaccine. Government and big business will NOT make my parental decisions for ME!

By the way, it's "thimerosal", otherwise known as mercury.
 
This is a reputable site. It has a .gov extension. When finding health related information on the web, always check for either a .gov extension OR an HONcode symbol at the bottom.

I disagree. Governmental agencies are some of the most corrupt agencies in the country and tell you what THEY want you think. I've done a lot of research on different topics, and have become convinced that our government is nothing but a place where the richest companies succeed in getting BAD products and data out into the American public by convincing politicians to sway in their favor by lining their pockets with money. I'd never trust a governmental website except for the most insignificant pieces of data, and I definitely wouldn't trust them when it comes to health-related topics! I can't even fathom the possibility of that, to be honest with you.

If you want the truth about health-related topics, talk to someone who isn't influenced by the big pharmaceutical companies' big money pocket-lining. Someone with nothing to lose is more credible than someone who stands to lose political backing for exposing the truth.
 
>First of all, I think this vaccine is too new to really know
>if it's worth anything. Second of all, this doesn't prevent
>cervical cancer. It only *MAY* protect you against *SOME*
>viruses that *MAY* cause cervical cancer. Even the commercial
>can't make better claims than that. The least we deserve is a
>vaccine that guarantees protection against something if it's
>going to be mandatory.
>
>Besides all that, though, I think we should be given a choice
>about these things. I am also one of those that distrusts
>pharmaceutical companies and the doctors who are benefited
>greatly by prescribing their drugs. Once again, they've done
>some good, but it's 99.99999999% about the money, not our
>well-being.

I agree 99.99999999% !
>
:D
 
Do you really think the CDC is corrupt and putting forth lies?

Where did you get your "a lot of research"?

When has the government intentionally (CDC especially) put forth disinformation?

I don't mean this to be a personal attack, but making blanket statements like that "I did a lot of research" doesn't really convince me and really shouldn't convince anyone, unless you did scientific research that got published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Tom Cruise also made statements like that on the Oprah show when he said he had done a lot of research on psychiatry...look at how that got debunked.

Anyway, I will be quiet on this thread from now on. I am just a medical student (who really should be studying) with NO ties to big pharma. In fact, in med school, we don't even learn trade names of drugs, just generic names. All drugs have a generic name. The national boards only use generic names. I couldn't tell you hardly any trade names for the meds we're learning (except the same ones you all see on commercials).

I don't think all docs should get such a bad rap. Maybe it is because I am studying my ass off right now so that I can help people in the future. I don't think people really understand how much hard work it is and the sacrifice it is on one's life. In fact, docs really don't get paid all that much...they usually are the "working rich" where they can afford a decent house, but they have no savings. If docs were to live w/in their means, many would live in regular subdivisions. The only way to make the big $$ is to go into derm, ortho, optho, or work every waking minute. The average lifespan of a doc is 10 years less than that of the general public (65 years old). It isn't an easy life, even though many think it is. I am not saying I am altruistic, and you guys may just laugh me off, but seriously, many of you have it better than doctors.

Enough rant on that. Live your life how you will. Don't believe anything anyone tells you if that is the way you would like to live. But remember, the people who write the studies and the people who write the prescriptions went to school for a VERY long time to impart the information to you.

-Becky
 
<<I will be quiet on this thread from now on.>>

There is no reason to be quiet. You shared some important information for parents and women 26 and younger to consider. As a parent, I just don't want this mandated when my DD turns 11. If genital HPV were transmitted through coughing or sneezing, I would at least understand the rationale for mandatory vacciantion. Madating it now seems premature.

BTW, I love the CDC site.

Oh and Maggie, I love your post and agree!
 
I'm sorry that you are naive enough to believe that the FDA has everyone's best interest at heart and is not subject to lobbying and personal interest groups and MONEY. You only have to take a look at the list of drugs and food additives that they have embraced with open arms...the same ones that are considered now to be dangerous and in some cases, deadly.

This is, however, only one of the many issues. There IS definitely a need for long term studies and if something isnt life or death or can be prevented through other methods (education, safe sex practices, abstinence, etc) I think we can wait on this vaccine.

It has actually been theorized with some clinical evidence that getting childhood diseases can be BENEFICIAL to a child's immune system and health as an adult. Too bad Merck just sees dollar signs and can not be ethical or moral enough to put the 11 year old girls' wellbeing ahead of their own greed.

I also have to disagree with the idea that vaccines arent the most profitable for drug companies. Do you think they are a charity organization? Drug companies have many effective drugs that they do not even bother to make because their bottom line isnt attractive enough. They are the MOST profitable companies in existence, just think about that.

I am not saying all drugs are terrible. I do think they have their place...but mass vaccination is getting out of control and the scare tactics and advertising is overwhelming. I for one am not ready to put my life and the lives of my children at risk by vaccinating them unneccessarily. Parents are often guilted and or scared and or threatened into vaccinating. This is creating a major nanny state mentality in the US.

Others have mentioned the alleged links between some of the vaccine additives and the vaccines themselves and degenerative and chronic diseases, autism and allergies and asthma. In light of that fact alone, it definitely should NOT be legislated.
 
I highly recommend "Overdosed America" ( http://www.amazon.com/Overdosed-Ame..._bbs_sr_1/002-5998339-6499223?ie=UTF8&s=books ), by an MD who obviously cares more about his patients health than about pushing drugs on then, that explores some of the politics of drug companies and how they influence doctors (from med school onward) and public policy, and how newer, questionable drugs, often less effective than more time-tested treatments (which are no longer under patent, and therefore are not the monopoly of one company), are often pushed quite heavily.

I think the author shows quite well how doctors are often influenced, despite their good intentions. Well worth the read, IMO.
 
I agree Autumn! Thank you, Becky, for your information. I also believe that 99% of the doctors out there are dedicated to helping people:) :)

I also would like people to keep in mind that pharmaceutical companies have also done much more good than bad!

Becky
 
I guess maybe Merck would be willing to suspend their royalties and put their vaccine in the public domain so that it can become generic right away if they were so concerned about the health and well being of all these young ladies?

I didn't think so.

Upon their 13th birthday well child visit, both my kids had the chicken pox vaccine. They had been exposed to it hundreds of times and never caught it.

Chicken pox as well as other "childhood diseases" are not as kind to adults. So if they don't get the immunity by natural or immunization before adulthood they may want to consider having that shot before working around kids or having kids.

My son has autism, we had him checked for mercury, lead and other metals. He was clear, in our case Thimerisol wasn't the culprit.
 
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