Texas Legislature sends veto-proof bill blocking HPV vaccine for four years

[hellokeith]

http://www.star-telegram.com/448/story/80616.html

Legislature sends bill blocking HPV order to governor
By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON
Associated Press Writer
AUSTINTexas lawmakers officially rejected Gov. Rick Perry's anti-cancer vaccine order Wednesday, sending him a veto-proof bill that blocks state officials from requiring the shots for at least four years.

Perry has said he is disappointed with the Legislature's actions but has not indicated whether he will veto the bill. He has 10 days to sign or veto it, or the proposal will become law without his signature.

Lawmakers can override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both chambers. The legislation passed by well over that margin in both chambers.

Wednesday's vote by the House to accept changes made by the Senate is one of the final steps in a fight that began in February, when Perry made national headlines with an executive order requiring the human papillomavirus vaccine for sixth-grade girls.

The vaccine protects girls and women against strains of the sexually transmitted virus that cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts.

The Legislature was outraged that Perry acted without consulting them. Just days after the governor issued the order, prominent legislators promised to do whatever it took to overturn the order, saying the vaccine is too new to force on Texas families.

After an emotional, six-hour public hearing, the House approved a bill last month barring state officials from requiring the vaccine for school attendance. The Senate adopted the bill on Monday, after deciding to let the ban expire in four years so the vaccine's risks and benefits can be re-evaluated.

Veto overrides are rare, primarily because most major bills are passed toward the end of the legislative session and the governor has 10 days to take action on them.

The governor's order was supposed to have taken effect in September 2008.

The HPV bill is HB1098.

This thing was just a cash cow for the pharmaceutical company. And parents retain their God-given right to decide their daughters' optional medical activities. :thumbsup:

Hopefully in 4 years this thing will die altogether. 🙂

 

[miketheidiot]

way to be backwards yet again Texas. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, no?

 

[ayabe]

High-five!!! *Borat voice*

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
way to be backwards yet again Texas. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, no?

Do you even understand what went on with this whole thing?

 

[Enig101]

On the one hand it is best for as many girls to get the vaccine as possible, but I don't know if making it mandatory is necessary.

 

[Strk]

I was never a fan of making it mandatory, but I am all for vaccinations.

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: Enig101
On the one hand it is best for as many girls to get the vaccine as possible, but I don't know if making it mandatory is necessary.

Yep, that was my issue with it, and the fact that the pharmaceutical company had such a big hand in it all.

 

[halik]

what's the rational reason for not vaccinating?

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: halik
what's the rational reason for not vaccinating?

None but it was wrong to stuff the pockets of one Drug Company.

 

[ayabe]

It should be mandatory for these reasons:

1. Women can die from it

2. It can in rare cases cause penis cancer in men

3. Very few of the strains produce warts so a lot of people can be carriers and not even know it.

4. Condoms don't protect you from it.

5. It's an epidemic among college aged women.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
way to be backwards yet again Texas. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, no?

Do you even understand what went on with this whole thing?

But the legislative response is even more idiotic than Perry's decree.

The Legislature chose an almost totally arbitrary period (4 years) to evaluate risks and benefits. Do you have any idea how much research time it takes to demonstrate that a vaccine is safe and effective? At this time the known risks are essentially non-existent and the known benefits are HUGE. A more reasoned approach would have been 1-2 year evaluation period. Perry's original order had a 12mo waiting period already. But there's absolutely ZERO doubt that this bill will result in some number of TX teens contracting HPV and later cervical cancer.

Perry had the right ends but his means of accomplishing it was wrong. The Legislature is just plain wrong. For instance, Pentacel is a new combination vaccine for kids (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, haemophilus B) that will hit the market this year. By combining vaccines, it means kids need fewer injections. It's a good idea in principle but what kind of arsebackwards world of hurt we would be in if the Texus Leg decided parents should be able to CHOOSE which vaccines they want and when to give them. Remember HPV is a communicable disease which makes it little different from other communicable diseases for which we require vaccination.

 

[robphelan]

this is a victory for anyone who values their freedom.

I have 2 girls <4 yrs old.. they will most likely get the vaccine when they get old enough.. however, neither I nor my wife, need anyone mandating anything else to us.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: robphelan
this is a victory for anyone who values their freedom.

I have 2 girls <4 yrs old.. they will most likely get the vaccine when they get old enough.. however, neither I nor my wife, need anyone mandating anything else to us.

So how about chickenpox . . . did you hate losing your freedom? Did you disdain DTaP . . . where's the choice?:roll: I'm not trying to be a total arse . . . just a marginal one.😉

You can CHOOSE to buy your kid a Ford GT and the other Shelby GT500 but the legislature at one level or another will DECIDE that they won't drive them faster than 70-75mph . . . or less. I give those examples b/c they would be a testament to society trying to balance out for bad parenting. The number one cause of fatalities amongst adolescent girls . . . car accidents.

The only loser in this 'victory' are girls in Texas that have parents with 'Live Free or Die' tattoos on their forehead.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
way to be backwards yet again Texas. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, no?

Do you even understand what went on with this whole thing?

But the legislative response is even more idiotic than Perry's decree.

The Legislature chose an almost totally arbitrary period (4 years) to evaluate risks and benefits. Do you have any idea how much research time it takes to demonstrate that a vaccine is safe and effective? At this time the known risks are essentially non-existent and the known benefits are HUGE. A more reasoned approach would have been 1-2 year evaluation period. Perry's original order had a 12mo waiting period already. But there's absolutely ZERO doubt that this bill will result in some number of TX teens contracting HPV and later cervical cancer.

Perry had the right ends but his means of accomplishing it was wrong. The Legislature is just plain wrong. For instance, Pentacel is a new combination vaccine for kids (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, haemophilus B) that will hit the market this year. By combining vaccines, it means kids need fewer injections. It's a good idea in principle but what kind of arsebackwards world of hurt we would be in if the Texus Leg decided parents should be able to CHOOSE which vaccines they want and when to give them. Remember HPV is a communicable disease which makes it little different from other communicable diseases for which we require vaccination.

hey, whatever the legislature wants to do to thin the Texas genepool, I'm all for it! 😀

Seriously, though...it's a sticky subject. It's pretty ludicrous to have a mandate requiring that your child be vaccinated (not that that hasn't been in place for some 50 years anyway)...but this is a new vaccine. On the other side, how do you expect to complete population-wide efficacy tests when you've got one side fearmongering everyone into thinking this is far more dangerous than it is?

This vaccine is about as safe as they come, and not that a parent shouldn't be concerned for their child's safety, but the propaganda on both sides of this issue are out of place. The notion that this vaccine will encourage kids to have sex is the most ludicrous of all, of course. If your 4 year-old daughter thinks that this will make her safe when having sex, and encourage her to have more of it...well, you've got other issues with your kids to straighten out....

 

[Mxylplyx]

I think this is stupid. Just slip the vaccine in with all the others that kids are expected to go through. How many times did you actually ask what the hell they were injecting you with as a child?

 

[CitizenKain]

Originally posted by: robphelan
this is a victory for anyone who values their freedom.

I have 2 girls <4 yrs old.. they will most likely get the vaccine when they get old enough.. however, neither I nor my wife, need anyone mandating anything else to us.

So you aren't going to send them school? As then you need to get MMR, Polio and various other vaccinations, how is this one any different?

 

[SViscusi]

Just goes to show that the Texas legislature is pro-cancer.

 

[tersome]

Originally posted by: hellokeith
This thing was just a cash cow for the pharmaceutical company. And parents retain their God-given right to decide their daughters' optional medical activities. :thumbsup:

Hopefully in 4 years this thing will die altogether. 🙂

Great! After all, why give money to pharmaceutical companies when it just goes towards finding new drugs and creating jobs?

Hospitals can just foot the bill when uninsured people walk into ERs to get HPV treatments.

😕

HPV is a legitimate disease and a mandatory vaccine is what's required to eradicate it. Some people seem a little uncomfortable simply because HPV is an STD. As far as anyone can tell, the HPV vaccine has very few side effects.

 

[Banzai042]

I never understood the opposition to this on the basis that it would make girls go out and have sex every night if they get the shot. My girlfriend and her sister are both getting the vaccine, because it's possible to get HPV from other sources than sex, and neither of them are having sex until marriage.

 

[shira]

Originally posted by: hellokeith
And parents retain their God-given right to decide their daughters' optional medical activities.

Ah, so God gave parents this right. I assume God also created HPV and selectively infects naughty teenage girls who get too much pleasure from out-of-wedlock sex.

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: ayabe
It should be mandatory for these reasons:

1. Women can die from it

2. It can in rare cases cause penis cancer in men

3. Very few of the strains produce warts so a lot of people can be carriers and not even know it.

4. Condoms don't protect you from it.

5. It's an epidemic among college aged women.

:Q

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: Banzai042
I never understood the opposition to this on the basis that it would make girls go out and have sex every night if they get the shot. My girlfriend and her sister are both getting the vaccine, because it's possible to get HPV from other sources than sex, and neither of them are having sex until marriage.

Perry did it wrong. He should have publicly stated his support for a mandatory vaccination program as a public health initiative to reduce STDs and cervical cancer. THEN he should have said, "although the HPV vaccine looks to be a tremendous advance we shouldn't rush to make it mandatory. Let's spend 12 months studying the issue. After which the Legislature can craft legislation balancing the risks and benefits as established by medical/public health experts. The extended review will also allow time for at least two different vaccines to be available."

Instead he followed George the Idiot King motif . . . 'I'm the Decider.' His approach allowed a coaliton of pro-ignorance, anti-business, anti-public health 'tards to reasonably argue that he had usurped the power of the legislature AND parents without due process all for the purpose of stuffing Big Pharma's pockets. Naturally, the peanut gallery crowed the loudest about HPV vaccination leading to promiscuity. That logic is right up there with a 12yo going after a rusty nail b/c his tetanus is up to date.

 

[shira]

Originally posted by: robphelan
this is a victory for anyone who values their freedom.

I have 2 girls <4 yrs old.. they will most likely get the vaccine when they get old enough.. however, neither I nor my wife, need anyone mandating anything else to us.

Right. How dare governments mandate that seat belts be worn. How dare governments mandate bicycle and motorcycle helmets.

Somehow, good Christians aren't up in arms over THOSE laws.

We all know the difference is that the HPV vaccine is (shudder) about sexual behavior. And good little Christian girls just don't mess around.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: shira

Originally posted by: hellokeith
And parents retain their God-given right to decide their daughters' optional medical activities.

Ah, so God gave parents this right. I assume God also created HPV and selectively infects naughty teenage girls who get too much pleasure from out-of-wedlock sex.

Hmm, circumcision . . .

 

[fskimospy]

Keith... you are insane. That's an awful lot of thumbs up-ping and smiling over the fact that the law they just passed will almost certainly lead to girls dying of cervical cancer.

Not only that, but you showed (again) that you have no idea what you are talking about. There was never any threat to parents' control of their children's medical decisions. There was an opt-out clause so that any parents who were sufficiently crazy as to wish possible cancer on their daughters could sign a form and they wouldn't have to get it.

I know you won't answer any of the replies in this thread, because you pretty much never do. You just come in crap on the forum with a stupid, ill considered post and then head on to the next one never looking back. I'll admit you might just be doing this to get a reaction out of people, and if so I guess you got me... but if you're actually serious about this please for the love of god learn more about the topic.