HPV Vaccination - Who Should Decide Parents or Government Bureaucrats?

We have all read about Texas Governor Rick Perry's decision to require all female students entering Junior High School to have the HPV vaccination which will prevent a young lady from contracting cervical cancer following sexual activity (the Texas legislature has overturned that decision). Because HPV is contracted through sexual activity (which can result in cervical cancer) it is an "STD" or sexually transmitted disease. It is NOT a disease a young woman can receive from simply being in the same area as an infected person. Thus the only way to receive this STD is by sexual activity or via a blood transfusion - and donated blood is screened for any signs of disease prior to it being released into the blood supplies.

Of course the controversy here is that the government is mandating that young female students, some as young as 12 or 13, are being required to receive a vaccination for a disease that they can only get via sexual activity. No parental impute required or wanted please! Never mind that the young lady may not be sexually active and may (shock, shock!) be waiting until marriage before becoming sexually active! Also never mind that there is evidence that some vaccinations may have harmful side effects. The HOV vaccine is relatively new and all of its long term affects are not yet known.

The controversy has become so intense that the HPV vaccine's maker Merick stopped all lobbying activity trying to have other legislatures around the country to make rules similar to Gov. Perry's.

Not wanting to be left behind with their command and control method of governing local schools, our state legislature has gotten into the act via AB 16. At first AB 16 would have required the HPV vaccine to be administered before a young lady would be allowed to enter Jr. High. It has now been amended to give an unelected bureaucrat the ability to order what vaccines a child must receive (and when they must be received) prior to him/her being allowed into school. Thus, without any hearings or public impute, this unelected official can simply order that children receive this and any other vaccine.

The decision to have a child receive a vaccination should be that of parents and medical health care professionals (and the child when he/she is old enough) especially regarding a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer due to sexual activity. It is bad enough that the legislature was considering mandating the HPV vaccination. But to pass this decision off to a bureaucrat where no public hearings or impute from the community is received is even worse. The legislature should simply drop its entry into this arena or at the very least, keep the authority to order vaccinations within the legislature where the politicians will be accountable to the people for their votes.

Attached is a sample letter to oppose AB 16. I recommend you download it, amend it as you deem necessary and send it to your assembly person, state senator and the Governor.

Craig P. Alexander, Esq.
Education Alliance Member

Letter in opposition to AB 16:
No%20on%20AB%2016.doc