Wednesday, February 07, 2007

On mandatory HPV vaccine

The Instapundit links here to this "Jane Galt" post and this Volokh post, both with many interesting comments, on the question of whether the new vaccine for human papillomavirus should be made mandatory.

More broadly, the Philadelphia Inquirer has this commentary on vaccines, and how the talk of a link between vaccination and autism is likely an urban myth.

On the other side, the Roanoke Times has this editorial, suggesting the HPV vaccine is mostly about corporate greed ("State legislators should not ignore that Merck stands to make billions in sales if Gardasil becomes mandatory across the country.").

They made this vaccine mandatory in Texas (by executive order that might get reversed by the legislature) and it is the subject of HB 2035, which passed the House 80-17 and as amended includes an opt-out provision, and SB 1230, which passed the Senate 40-0.

The language from the House amendment says: "After having reviewed materials describing the link between the human papillomavirus and cervical cancer approved for such use by the Board, a parent or guardian may elect, on an appropriate form prescribed by the Board, for his child not to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine."

No comments: