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EDITORIAL: Bachmann’s comments on HPV vaccine maleficent, misguided

By Editorial Board on September 19, 2011 11:00 am in Editorial / 12 comments

 

There are few more sensitive subjects in government than the balance between parents’ right to raise their children and society’s obligation to ensure proper care.

It was a wise move, then, for Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann to question fellow candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry’s executive order requiring 12-year-old girls in his state to receive vaccinations of Gardasil against Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, at a debate Monday.

Superseding the state’s legislation for the matter was questionable, even if parents could have nixed it on an individual basis. It did not help that Perry had received a campaign contribution from the manufacturer of the vaccine, Merck. To be fair, the donation was for $5,000, fairly insignificant when compared to the $30 million he raised in total.

However, Bachmann’s statements against distributing the vaccine, which were made on the basis that the government has no right to enforce measures against STIs and that the drug may in fact cause mental retardation, were detestable.

Though HPV possesses no horrible symptoms on its own, it greatly increases the chance of developing cervical cancer among women.

This highly fatal affliction is worth doing something about. And if even Perry, who is a strict supporter of abstinence-only education in schools, believes potentially saving thousands of lives from the consequences of momentary indiscretions is worth the risks, that certainly says something.

Speaking of risks, Bachmann’s allegation that the drug could cause mental retardation was not based on scientific fact. A study undertaken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with almost 30,000 subjects found no indication that Gardasil is correlated with any form of mental retardation.

But let’s give Bachmann the benefit of the doubt. Let’s say an ideal female student does not receive the vaccination, because she is committed to remaining abstinent until her wedding day.

Eight years later she gets married to a faithful husband who tests negative for all STIs — you can’t be too careful.

But she might not know there’s no test for HPV in males.

And her husband, who fooled around a little in high school without a condom, has it and gives it to her.

The abstinent woman now has at least as high a risk for cervical cancer as a sexually active woman, all because she did not receive an injection in her arm when she was 12 years old.

So there remains only one question for Bachmann, whether or not one agrees with abstinence-only education: Why not protect our kids?

 

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  • Michmediaperson

    You left out a big piece of information.

    Rick Perry ordered it mandatory for all 12 year old girls.

    As a conservative Limbaugh Republican, Perry had no business ordering 12 year old girls to get this vaccination.  That decision is left to the PARENTS, not Government!!!

    Where Perry went wrong is, he should have simply offered it as an option……and if the parents wanted to get their daughter(s) the vaccination, then they could have.

    Rick Perry is a closet Democrat.  He was Algore’s campaign manager in Texas in 1988.  Karl Rove, I believe, was the man who converted him.  I hope Perry is not our nominee.  He’s in the closet.  Much like John McCain.

    Rick Perry has no business superceding parents!!!

  • Nick P

    What did this editorial mean by “superseding the state’s legislation”? Did you mean legislature? Legislation is a bill introduced for a vote in the legislature.

  • Nick P

    By the way, 1 out of 4 CMU students who are sexually active have HPV and don’t know it.

  • http://twitter.com/MisterCopland Antony

    Hi, I’m the guy who will be taking down this and AB499, nice to meet you.  What people have failed to realize, because obviously they are not going to be told, the HPV has NO link to cervical cancer.  You want some links, you have them. 
    http://cancer.immunodefence.com/2007/12/fda-documents-reveal-hpv-not-a.html#more
    http://www.newstarget.com/downloads/FDA-HPV.pdf
    http://www.newstarget.com/downloads/FDA-Gardasil.pdf
    http://www.newstarget.com/downloads/HPV-Vaccine-Effects.pdf
    http://www.naturalnews.com/Merck.html

    Also, guess what? HPV cures itself!

  • http://twitter.com/MisterCopland Antony
  • A.M. Biguous

    I agree to some extent with Michmediaperson – there is absolutely nothing comforting about the government’s imposition where vaccinations are concerned.  The miraculous nature of vaccines aside, the government should never be a position to dictate to ANYONE, parents OR children what treatments to enact in order to prevent epidemics.  A virus is also a living organism that adapts, changes and works to stay alive – with determination unlike most organisms – if it doesn’t succeed the first time, it WILL try again!  This reader might feel differently about the discussion of vaccinations and politics were it not coming from a panel of conservative capitalists who hang out in the lint-and-money filled pockets of big Pharma.  Forcing medication for the sake of protection and in the name of safety over children is a bad business, no matter what political affiliation…and I doubt too seriously that Rick Perry, the thoughtful murder, is too concerned about the fate of women and their reproductive health…NOR is Michele Bachmann for that matter… 

  • A.M. Biguous

    I agree to some extent with Michmediaperson – there is absolutely nothing comforting about the government’s imposition where vaccinations are concerned.  The miraculous nature of vaccines aside, the government should never be a position to dictate to ANYONE, parents OR children what treatments to enact in order to prevent epidemics.  A virus is also a living organism that adapts, changes and works to stay alive – with determination unlike most organisms – if it doesn’t succeed the first time, it WILL try again!  This reader might feel differently about the discussion of vaccinations and politics were it not coming from a panel of conservative capitalists who hang out in the lint-and-money filled pockets of big Pharma.  Forcing medication for the sake of protection and in the name of safety over children is a bad business, no matter what political affiliation…and I doubt too seriously that Rick Perry, the thoughtful murder, is too concerned about the fate of women and their reproductive health…NOR is Michele Bachmann for that matter… 

  • Michigan Parent

    I agree, I’d love to see Polio make a resurgence. Can’t deal with it? Tough.

  • Michigan Parent

    I agree, I’d love to see Polio make a resurgence. Can’t deal with it? Tough.

  • Taxpayer98

    I do not support Mr. Perry. However, he did not force anyone to get the vaccine. Any parent could opt-out his or her daughter(s).

  • A.M. Biguous

    I don’t want to say that children getting sick and dying is a-okay with me…it just seems highly problematic that Rick Perry would advocate for the reproductive health of 12-year old girls…and that this is actually, probably rooted to what has already been referred to in this forum, just a sneakier way of pushing for abstinence-only human health curricula at a state level – which is so dangerous, I cannot even express the fear!  I just read this morning that Perry is CUTTING women’s health programs in Texas: http://www.npr.org/2011/09/20/140449957/gov-perry-cut-funds-for-womens-health-in-texas?sc=fb&cc=fp and I’m thinking a) big surprise and at the same time, b) ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 

    It is far too obvious to me that while there are so many children that need to be INSURED and so many children that need adequate health care, leaving the decisions of their help up to capitalist wolves in sheep’s clothing is a BAD idea.  There are a lot of parents that do not want to be parents, whose concerns for their children might be less than expected, but there are quite a few parents that concern themselves greatly for the care and health of their children.  Rick Perry cares about his own children – I’m sure…but his concern for my children or your children or Dick’s children or Jane’s children scares me…what IS his agenda?  The second coming of government sanctioned eugenical violence?  Wouldn’t be surprised at all. Gross me out.

  • Anonymous

    Dear Editor,

    Stop quoting this guy in print.

    Please