by Jill Stanek
A Feb. 4 Chicago Sun-Times article about state Sen. Debbie Halvorson's idea to mandate vaccinations for all adolescent girls in Illinois against the sexually transmitted disease HPV stated this:
State Sen. Debbie Halvorson, who has championed mandatory HPV vaccinations, estimated that the initial cost to vaccinate the state's 18,000 uninsured 11- and 12-year-old girls at $4 million.
The series of three shots, manufactured by Merck under the name Gardasil, costs $360.
Actually, 18,000 x $360 = $6,480,000.
And that does not include payment for the three doctors' visits required for the three injections.
The closest correlation I can estimate for that, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services fee schedule, is the three-shot Hepititis A vaccination regimen. For that the state's physician co-pay is $28.05 per visit, or $84.15.
$84.15 + $360 = $444.15 x 18,000 = $7,994,700, which is double Halvorson's estimate, which is actually on par for actual vs. political math.
I feel like Cal.
