HPV Vaccination Ordered for All Girls Entering Middle School in Texas

Starting next year, following an executive order that was just passed by Governor Rick Perry, girls entering the sixth grade in the state of Texas will be required to get the Gardasil vaccine (also referred to as the "HPV" vaccine), which reportedly helps prevent cervical cancer and genital warts. Perry has already received criticism from conservatives and parents' rights groups who oppose the legislation.

Statistics provided by the Center for Disease Control indicate that more than six million Americans are infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) ever year and that half of all sexually active adults will be affected at some point. In addition, 4,000 American women die every year due to cervical cancer. Gardasil, which is manufactured by Merck, is designed to protect against high risk strains of HPV, which cause about 70 percent of all cervical cancers, and also protects against strains which are known to cause genital warts. While the US Food and Drug Administration has noted the effectiveness of the drug, research shows that it is less effective in teenage girls and young women who have already been exposed to the virus and that it could worsen conditions for women who already have cervical cancer. It has been approved for use in women ages nine through twenty-six. The only side effect noted was mild injection site pain, and the duration of protection from the vaccine is unclear at this point.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Perry said, "The HPV vaccine provides us with an incredible opportunity to effectively target and prevent cervical cancer." He likened the use of this vaccine to other common vaccines such as the one used to prevent polio. State authorities have been advised to make the vaccine available for free for girls between the ages of nine and eighteen if they are uninsured or their insurance does not cover vaccine. Medicaid will also offer the vaccine to women between the ages of 19 and 21.

Groups that oppose the executive order expressed concerns that the requirement interferes with the way parents in Texas raise their children and that it also condones premarital sex. The order has also drawn criticism due to Perry's ties to Merck and Women in Government. As the sole manufacturer of the drug, Merck faces significant financial gains and has been funneling money into various advocacy groups across the country such as Women in Government, who actively lobby for mandatory HPV vaccinations. Governor Perry received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee to assist with his re-election campaign. His former chief of staff is one of Merck's top drug lobbyists and his current chief of staff is related to Dianne White Delisi, the current state director for Women in Government.

Dawn Richardson, president of Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education (a citizen's group that fights for the right to opt out of vaccine requirements), said, "He's circumventing the will of the people. There are bills filed. There's no emergency except in the boardrooms of Merck, where this is failing to gain the support that they had expected."

The Texas Constitution allows the governor to adopt rules like this, and the Legislature cannot appeal it. It will remain in effect until Perry or one of his successors changes it. Legislators are currently looking for alternative options for parents who oppose the policy. Currently, Texas allows parents to opt out of vaccines if they file an affidavit that objects to the vaccine on religious or philosophical grounds.