Hpv Vaccine

[Moneybags]

I found the following question posted online. What are your opinions??

Should states enact laws that would require girls to be vaccinated against Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?

[homeschoolmom]

Absolutely not.

eta: Even if it is the child's best interest, it is a decision for the parents, not the state.

[hoosieranna]

No, no, no. What hsmom said. Also, long-term effects are still unknown. The vaccine was rushed through the approval process. It may that we are reducing HPV but increasing occurences of an as yet unknown condition. There is just too much that is unknown.

[azaelia]

If people would stop sleeping around there would be no need for this vaccine.

[Moneybags]

[quote name='Nadezhda' post='1341707' date='Jul 26 2007, 06:46 PM']No, no, no. What hsmom said. Also, long-term effects are still unknown. The vaccine was rushed through the approval process. It may that we are reducing HPV but increasing occurences of an as yet unknown condition. There is just too much that is unknown.[/quote]

Could you please provide sources for your statements. I would like to take a similar stance, but I need sources in order to do so.

[hoosieranna]

Most of what I know comes from my mother. She's an NP at a VA hospital. I don't know her exact sources. I'm sorry. Although, thank you for pointing out that I need specific sources. I'm usually more careful about making claims w/o listing my sources. I will ask her.

Edited July 26, 2007 by Nadezhda

[Cow of Shame]

I like the idea of reducing the prevalence of the virus. But for some reason it doesn't sit right with me to make this vaccination mandatory.

However, let's look at it this way: if they had a vaccination for AIDS, would you still feel that it should be a parent's choice to vaccinate their child or not?

For me, then I'd all for making it mandatory....so it *should* follow that I would be for making the HPV mandatory as well. As long as it's deemed safe, of course.

Edited July 26, 2007 by Cow of Shame

[Paddington]

I got Hep A and Hep B vaccines. I hope they were studied enough.

1/3 of people with Hep B don't know how they got it......that really got my attention.

[Sojourner]

I am torn on the issue ...

On the one hand, one of the things the state does well is to help promote public health. Mandatory vaccination could have that effect. I mean, realistically, abstinence does not happen, people have sex and sickness is a result. We can't stop people from sinning, but we can ameliorate some of the consequences of that, which is, I think, not necessarily a bad thing to do. If we accept that mandatory vaccination is good with regard to some diseases ... mumps, polio, etc., then it's hard to say, "They can't tell me what to do" when it comes to HPV. Stigmatizing a disease because of how you get it leads to big problems, imo. Look at Africa.

However, I'm concerned about several aspects of it ... to the best of my recollection, there is only one company currently manufacturing the vaccine, and they're the ones lobbying to make it mandatory. That's a big conflict of interest. And, the vaccine only hits one strain of the virus. That's an issue.

[kateri05]

all drugs in their first year or two are still really in their testing phase. i can think of two or three drugs offhand that were recalled after mass use. (fen-fen anyone?)


i don't like mandatory anything, honestly. the government likes to play big brother way too often.

[Socrates]

I ditto what Homeschoolmom, Nadezhda, and Kateri said.

It's not the place of the state to enforce the use of this vaccine. Everybody should not be forced to pay for the irresponsible actions of some. And it negates personal responsiblity and basically sends the same message as distributing free condoms in schools ("since the kids are going to do it anyway . . .")

If "safe," the vacccine should be available for those who want it, but its use should not be mandatory for everyone. The cost and risks should fall upon those who choose it, not forced on everyone by the "nanny-state."

[catholicinsd]

[quote name='azaelia' post='1341713' date='Jul 26 2007, 06:49 PM']If people would stop sleeping around there would be no need for this vaccine. [/quote]

That's not gonna happen anytime soon.

[Cow of Shame]

People are still having sex. It's been going on for quite a while. Perhaps it's quite fashionable.

It hasn't gone out of style.

[prose]

Man I miss the 90s... OR was that 80s?

[Cow of Shame]

I was gonna say 80's, but I double checked...released in '91