At least one Congressman understands the problems with mandating the HPV vaccine. It happens that he's an OB-GYN from Georgia.
From today's World Net Daily story . . .
But now U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., a medical doctor, announced he has introduced the Parental Right to Decide Protection Act, a plan that "prohibits federal funds from being used to implement mandatory state human-papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs."
"As an OB-GYN physician, I understand the importance of protecting Americans from sexually transmitted diseases, and I applaud the development of an HPV vaccine," Gingrey said. "But for states to mandate vaccination for young women is both unprecedented and unacceptable.
"States should require vaccinations for communicable diseases, like measles and the mumps. But you can't catch HPV if an infected schoolmate coughs on you or shares your juice box at lunch. Whether or not girls get vaccinated against HPV is a decision for parents and physicians, not state governments," he said.
And once again, Illinois Review is mentioned as involved in the controversy . . .
The powerful connections behind the state proposals to mandate the HPV vaccine became apparent when Fran Eaton, the editor for the Illinois Review blog posted a commentary on the situation in Illinois.
There she noted with dismay that Texas Gov. Rick Perry had signed into law by executive fiat a requirement that all schoolgirls be vaccinated, and is facing considerable negative reaction because of that decision. She said she had gotten a call from former Republican National Committee Chairman Jack Oliver asking what it would take to get her to be neutral on the issue of mandatory vaccines for STDs.
"I suspect Gov. Perry of Texas may have received such a call before issuing an executive order mandating for all 11-year-olds. A call like that, in addition to pressure from his Chief of Staff, whose family member lobbies for the HPV vaccine producer, was probably just enough to push him into the hot water he's boiling in right now," Eaton wrote.
