Commentary on HPV Vaccine

What You Should Know About the HPV Vaccination and the Reporting Act of 2007
A Bill to Require the HPV Vaccine for 10-13 Year Old Girls in DC

What is the HPV vaccine?
The Human Pappiloma Virus (HPV) vaccine is a drug heavily advertised as Gardasil and is manufactured by Merck Pharmaceutical Co., which promotes the vaccine as a protection for girls against cervical cancer.  Merck is also the maker of the infamous pain killer Vioxx, which was pulled off the market after it was shown to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.  Merck faces 27,000 lawsuits resulting from the use of Vioxx.  Like Vioxx, the HPV vaccine has not been thoroughly tested.

Will the vaccine prevent cervical cancer?
While initial research shows that the vaccine can protect against four strains of HPV that cause about 70 percent of the cases of cervical cancer, the only effective way to prevent cervical cancer of all kinds is through regular pap smears and care.  The vaccine is more costly and less effective in preventing cervical cancer than regular pap smears and condom use.   

What are the Mayor and City Council proposing for our girls?
The legislation, B17-0030 HPV VACCINATION AND REPORTING ACT OF 2007, will require “that the parent or legal guardian of a female child enrolling in grade 6 for the first time submit certification that the child has received the HPV vaccine…” While the “opt out” provisions have been broadened, we still oppose the bill. This is because we fear the “opt out” will not be utilized by those parents and children facing the most difficult situations.

Why are so many parents, public health professionals and others opposed to this bill?
The bill puts our girls at risk.  It costs too much and it is an ineffective approach to preventing cervical cancer in our communities.  Groups like the Alliance for Human Research Protection, the National Vaccine Information Center, the American College of Pediatricians and Dr. Jon Abramson, Chairman of the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) have opposed mandating the vaccine for different reasons including concerns that the target age for the vaccine is too young and that the vaccine was released using unreliable and insufficient study data.  In addition, the development of vaccines to address social and not communicable diseases violates basic principles of public health.  There are also concerns about what appears to be unethical lobbying and marketing practices by the drug maker.  Many of the places where Merck is pushing the vaccine are like DC, mostly low-income communities of color. 

This bill puts our children and our tax dollars at risk. According to reports in various media including The New York Times, Merck is pushing HPV vaccine bills through state governments all over the country as a way to generate big profits and reduce the company’s liability.  When governments require vaccines, the company gets guaranteed markets and relief from liability when the vaccine causes injuries.

How far is this bill in the process?
There has been only one public hearing on the bill, which took place on a Friday morning with little public notice and when most parents could not attend. The first of the required two votes for this bill was held on April 3rd and the City Council voted to experiment on our children.
 
What can I do?
Become a part of the Parents and Citizens Committee to Stop Medical Experimentation in DC by calling (202) 829-9612, email StopHPV_Vaccine@yahoo.com or visit www.NoHPVshots4me.com.  See below for more on what you can do. 

What would you say to a drug that

1. places thousands of DC girls at risk
2. is costly and ineffective
3. helps make a big pharmaceutical company richer
4. will be voted on without adequate hearings and without representation on the Council for more than a fourth of District residents?

NO WAY!!!!
What can YOU do to stop the HPV Vaccine Bill?
Come to our next meeting:

1. Tuesday, April 10th at  6:00PM         Lamond-Riggs Library                                                                                                                     5401 South Dakota Ave, N.E.

1. Call and e-mail these councilmembers. If we can get three of them to vote with us we can stop David Catania and Merck from experimenting on our children.

And…Tell Mayor Fenty to oppose the legislation by calling 202-727-6265.

For more information call (202) 829-9612, email  StopHPV_Vaccine@yahoo.com or visit www.NoHPVshots4me.com

Download this Flyer (PDF file)