STD Vaccine and the state of Texas

[Guest]

Now.... let me see if I understand this correctly....

The governor of Texas has decided that HPV and cervical cancer are such a great risk to women as a whole that this vaccine has now been made mandatory for all girls in school much like any other vaccines. This is being done so that more young girls/women/older women have a hope in hell of not getting this brutal cancer. The vaccines are now covered by most health care insurances and inbedded in the mandatory paperwork the cost of the vaccines will be picked up by the state of the family does not have the ability to pay for the shots or their insurance won't do it.

The OPPONENTS.... are trying to find ways for the parents to circumvent this mandate.....

Help me out here....
Has someone lost their frekking mind?!?
How in the blue blazes of hell can someone justify NOT allowing their daughters to have this potentionally life saving vaccine???

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16948093/wid/11915773?GT1=9033

 

[R. Richard]

The insane we have always with us.

 

[Guest]

im stupified. i saw that in the paper this morning and nearly dropped.

im of the mind:
i wont go get a brand new os for my computer until all the kinks are worked out of it...if you think im going to put some vaccine into my daughter who very well may end up being a lezbean ...or a...nun for all i know...you're out of your fucking mind. i want to know what side effects this med will have 5, 10, 15 years down the road. we dont know. sorry, put me in jail but my daughter will not be getting a shot until we know more.

 

[Belegon]

there are many people who do not believe that vaccines are as beneficial as they appear to be...my sister among them. She has a lot of research she has done. To be honest, I'm skeptical of her sources...but I'm not gonna make an issue out of it. Her kids are well and they have not had the so-called "mandatory" vaccines...

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Now.... let me see if I understand this correctly....

The governor of Texas has decided that HPV and cervical cancer are such a great risk to women as a whole that this vaccine has now been made mandatory for all girls in school much like any other vaccines. This is being done so that more young girls/women/older women have a hope in hell of not getting this brutal cancer. The vaccines are now covered by most health care insurances and inbedded in the mandatory paperwork the cost of the vaccines will be picked up by the state of the family does not have the ability to pay for the shots or their insurance won't do it.

The OPPONENTS.... are trying to find ways for the parents to circumvent this mandate.....

Help me out here....
Has someone lost their frekking mind?!?
How in the blue blazes of hell can someone justify NOT allowing their daughters to have this potentionally life saving vaccine???

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16948093/wid/11915773?GT1=9033

"If God wants your child to get cervial cancer and die, it will happen. If it is not God's will that your child shall die from cervical cancer, she will not get it. Getting vaccine is a signt hat you don't trust God to do what is right for your child."

I suddenly have a vision of God being a grinning teenage boy whose trying to persuade his girlfriend that they don't have to use a condom.
"What, don't you TRUST me, darling???"

 

[R. Richard]

im of the mind:
i wont go get a brand new os for my computer until all the kinks are worked out of it...if you think im going to put some vaccine into my daughter who very well may end up being a lezbean ...or a...nun for all i know...you're out of your fucking mind. i want to know what side effects this med will have 5, 10, 15 years down the road. we dont know. sorry, put me in jail but my daughter will not be getting a shot until we know more.

There are two competing needs here. One is the need to be protected against STDs. The other is to be protected against the possible bad effects of a vaccine.

A vaccine is not released to the public until it has been rather thoroughly tested. That is not to say that harmful vaccines do not slip past the testing. However, the risk is fairly low. On the other hand, the risk of STDs is known, high and growing. Even a lesbian needs protection against something her partner(s) may have picked up.

I was doing some data entry for a low budget project. I happened to overhear the regular data entry ladies discussing the modern definition of a female virgin: "An ugly third grader." Something to think about.

 

[SesameStreet]

if you have ever watched a woman die from cervical cancer then you would be all for this vaccine. I am in favor of any vaccine that will prevent deaths.

 

[S-Des]

I have a young daughter and will have to deal with this soon. Putting aside religious fanatics (uninformed ones at that), there are still people who believe vaccines aren't always the best thing (Kennedy has made a career out of accusing vaccines for being responsible for Autism). I never get flu shots and don't go to the doctor when I get sick. The result, I'm 41 and haven't been in a hospital for anything for 15 years, and rarely get sick. Am I right, or just lucky? Honestly I don't know. But people who get antibiotics every time they get a stuffy nose have had unintended consequences (i.e. superviruses that are resistant to antibiotics). What will we find out in 10-20 years? I'm with Vella that less is more. In this specific case, I'm just not sure yet. If it is the panacea and has no ill effects, then I hope all women use it and are protected. I just hope that this isn't one of those times where the cure isn't all it's cracked up to be.

 

[Guest]

Of course the vaccine is a terrific idea. If it works and has minimal side effects. At present girls will need ongoing boosters - every 10 years says one source, but as often as every 3 years says another.

We didn't give our children the chicken pox vaccine (varicella) until it had been on the market for a few years. I am certainly not going to rush my daughter in for this.

But in any case it shouldn't be mandated. It shouldn't be the law.

That has frightening implications.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

But in any case it shouldn't be mandated. It shouldn't be the law.

That has frightening implications.

Yes, it does.

We selectively vaccinate... and only do ONE vaccination at a time. I refuse to give them the soup vaccines--the ones all mixed together. DTP etc. If we are giving it, it's separated out, and spaced out, so if they have a reaction, we know to which vaccine. There are some that are just silly to me (chicken pox for example) and some that the risks seem to outweigh the benefits... those we forego.

This vaccine? *shrug* I'm with Sarahh... I'll wait until it's been out a while...

 

[lucky-E-leven]

The majority of vaccines out there are good. I don't advocate letting children go unvaccinated. I agree with Vella. This vaccine is new. Sure it's been through the standard process of becoming approved, but so have a ton of other vaccines that took years to become refined to the point that they are virtually harmless to the masses and provide a good amount of protection. I'm glad they've developed it. I'm glad they're offering it. I'm glad that people are finally figuring out that the only way to fight cancer right now is prevention.

What I'm not happy about is our state governor bypassing the legislature entirely to pass this mandate. I'm pretty proactive about my children's health. Chances are that some time in the future we would have gotten them vaccinated anyway. Until I know more about the vaccine, however, they'll not be injecting it into mine and vella's children.

~lucky

 

[lucky-E-leven]

One thing that kind of bothers me also is that the current administration now wants to act concerned that STD's might cause cancer and yet all they are willing to fund is an abstinence program. I'm not okay with that. I want my children to have plenty of sex education. I had access to it when I was a youngster, and it made a huge impact on my decision making. I'm not very comfortable with the idea of; Let's just keep telling them not to have sex, but give them the shot just to cover our asses in case that message doesn't work.

 

[Vermilion]

the thing is that cervical cancer could be prevented with a good screening system and a proper sex education with extensive information as to why you need protection and what will happen if you don't. But as far as I can tell most states prefer to give unnecessary vaccinations and tell them to abstain. Humpf.

Yay. I have a smear soon. Last time the smear didn't hurt, but the nurse getting my pubes caught in the mechanism for the speculum bloody *did*. Ouch.
x
V

 

[Guest]

thinking about the failed smallpox vaccine...
hrm.
i think its great that we're working on the 'greater' good. im just not willing to let my kids be some of the firsts.

 

[rgraham666]

It's money and politics.

Vaccinations are much cheaper than proper sex education.

And proper sex education will set off the 'usual suspects' and the governor might lose the next election. He depends on the 'usual suspects'.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

This vaccine has just come out of testing and seems to have been run through the FDA on the fast track. That's not good when you look back at other things that have been approved by FDA this way.

Things that are not taken into account are: Allergic reactions to the vaccine media, the vaccine doesn't seem to require any monitoring afterwards and the vaccine is unproven in the general population - only by a small sample of women ranging in age from 14 to 50. Statistically, the reduction in breast cancer is actually quite small when you add in other factors such as better diet, reduction in smoking, reduction in environmental pollutants, etc.

I believe the jury is still out on this. Fuck the governor of Texas. If there was a vaccine for testicular cancer do you suppose he would be first in line? Doubtful.

 

[impressive]

Any "mandatory" vaccine that is not intended to prevent the spread of a contagious and life-threatening ailment is motivated by factors other than the health of the individual.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Now.... let me see if I understand this correctly....

The governor of Texas has decided that HPV and cervical cancer are such a great risk to women as a whole that this vaccine has now been made mandatory for all girls in school much like any other vaccines. This is being done so that more young girls/women/older women have a hope in hell of not getting this brutal cancer. The vaccines are now covered by most health care insurances and inbedded in the mandatory paperwork the cost of the vaccines will be picked up by the state of the family does not have the ability to pay for the shots or their insurance won't do it.

The OPPONENTS.... are trying to find ways for the parents to circumvent this mandate.....

Help me out here....
Has someone lost their frekking mind?!?
How in the blue blazes of hell can someone justify NOT allowing their daughters to have this potentionally life saving vaccine???

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16948093/wid/11915773?GT1=9033

Believe me, most people here that I know feel the same way.....that the opponents are batshit insane.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I'm still seeing this whole thing as much ado about nothing. From the National Cancer Institute website, the incidence of Cervex Cancer for women of all ages has fallen from 14.8/100,000 in 1975 to 7.1/100,000 in 2003.

The most common cervical cancer is Squamous Cell Carcinoma. That is a lot more common on the skin from over exposure to sun. It's easily treatable in the pre-metastic stages for both skin and cervical.

The vaccine only protects against 4 or 16 virus versions. That's why the manufacture's literature says the vaccine is not a replacement for annual pap smears. Makes you wonder if it's really worthwhile.

 

[sophia jane]

I said it in shereads' thread on this- it's too soon to mandate it. I'll say this again, too: what isn't being made clear about this vaccine is that it only vaccinates against some forms of HPV (not all) and that HPV is only one factor (of many) that can lead to cervical cancer; additionally, not all HPV leads to cervical cancer. So, while the idea of preventing cervical cancer is awesome, this vaccine isn't a total cervical cancer prevention, and to market it as such is crap. To label parents who are concerned about the effects of this brand new vaccine as bad parents or as irresponsible is crap. Mandating a vaccine of this sort, so quickly after it went on the market, is crap.
It's my opinion that it should be available to those who need it, but long term studies on its effectiveness and its side effects haven't been done, and until more is known, requiring it for all girls is crap.

 

[angelicminx]

Write my name under the 'batshit insane' list, folks. I am completely opposed to ANYTHING like this mandated by government entities.

1. As several have said, this is a NEW vaccine with unknown potential repercussions.

2. I abhor government control when it comes to something that should remain a personal decision. My daughter WILL NOT be getting said vaccine until I am 100% positive she should.

The thing that amazes me about this is it's actually part of the plot for my sci-fi NaNo story. Government mandated vaccination. I'd been kicking the idea around for over a year before it ever saw type for the NaNo thing.


We could also go into the new law passed by the Kentucky senate making nude dancing and lap dances illegal ("in an effort to protect 'our' women and help prevent the spread of STDs")... but we won't at this time.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Write my name under the 'batshit insane' list, folks. I am completely opposed to ANYTHING like this mandated by government entities.

1. As several have said, this is a NEW vaccine with unknown potential repercussions.

2. I abhor government control when it comes to something that should remain a personal decision. My daughter WILL NOT be getting said vaccine until I am 100% positive she should.

The thing that amazes me about this is it's actually part of the plot for my sci-fi NaNo story. Government mandated vaccination. I'd been kicking the idea around for over a year before it ever saw type for the NaNo thing.


We could also go into the new law passed by the Kentucky senate making nude dancing and lap dances illegal ("in an effort to protect 'our' women and help prevent the spread of STDs")... but we won't at this time.

Hey, now, nothing personal intended here. We might not agree, but I wasn't out to attack you.

 

[angelicminx]

Hey, now, nothing personal intended here. We might not agree, but I wasn't out to attack you.

Sorry, sugar. I didn't take it as an attack on me. I liked the phrase so I used it.

 

[Liar]

From what I've read, there are two arguments against that is being expressed. One is sane and one is batshiat crazy.

The sane one has been mentioned by many in this thread: It's a relatively new drug, and if history have taught us anything, being careful with what "safe" and "tested" chemicals we pump into our bodies, should be among them.

It's the batshiat crazy one that makes me wanna spam someone: The "Omg ohno the horrors, vaccinating against STDs is to tell young girls that it's ok to have sex, and in five years, our little angels are gonna be depraved slut whores doomed to an eternity of torment in the lowest levels of hell."

 

[Guest]

This vaccine has just come out of testing and seems to have been run through the FDA on the fast track. That's not good when you look back at other things that have been approved by FDA this way.

Right on.

Look at the commercials for attorneys seeking clients who've used drugs like Celebrex, Boniva, and a brand of birth control patch (I can't think of the name off hand) and experienced horrendous complications/side effects. There aren't enough long term studies done on pharmaceuticals for the state of Texas to mandate the HPV vaccine.

I'm all for the vaccine, because I wouldn't want my daughter to suffer cervical cancer. I think the vaccine is a wonderful advancement in medical science, however, with all the lawsuits on big drug companies the last few years, it makes me a bit nervous at the same time.