In fall 2009, girls 16 to 18 will be vaccinated and in fall 2010 girls 15 to 17 will be vaccinated.

The shots will be given in schools but will not be mandatory.

The government says they will only choose one HPV vaccine, either Merck's Gardasil or GlaxoSmithKlin's Cervarix. The two companies will have to compete for the contract.

While many people applaud the mass vaccination plan, others are concerned about things like potential side effects and longterm effectiveness of the vaccine.

The vaccine was previously known to protect against four strains of the virus - 16, 18, 6, and 11. The new study shows that it may also protect against 10 other strains of the virus.

Despite the new findings that show increased protection, doctors point to an important limitation of the vaccine — it is only 39 percent effective against lesions caused by these other strains of HPV. The majority of that efficacy was seen in just two of the other 10 strains, notes Harper.

However, physicians are still optimistic about the new findings and hope additional coverage will eventually help reduce cervical cancer rates.

The agency tested blood samples from 1,483 girls and women aged 10-29 years for types of the virus that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer.

The results, presented at the agency's annual conference in Warwick today, showed that the risk of infection rises sharply from the age of 14.

The study was done in the wake of recommendations that 12 and 13 year old girls be vaccinated against the HPV virus.

One in 10 girls under 16 has potential cancer virus

The findings, reported in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, support a recommendation in June from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that vaccination focus on girls 11 and 12 years of age, most of whom would not have already become sexually active.

Cervical Cancer Vaccines Won't Fight Existing HPV Infection

The visual screening test is done by a nurse or trained health care worker who washes a woman's cervix with vinegar and gauze using a speculum to hold it open. After one minute, any pre-cancerous lesions turn very white and can be seen with the naked eye under a halogen lamp.

This detection method may save many lives in the developing world where Pap smears are not affordable.

Experts think that the simple, inexpensive technique could be rolled out across the developing world relatively easily. Pilot projects are already under way in a handful of countries in Asia and Africa.

"No. I'm not sure I have the authority or any governor should have the authority to issue such an order on his own in our state," Daniels said this morning at his weekly media availability ... The issue is being debated in the legislature, and that, he said, is the proper forum.

Daniels won't mandate vaccinations

Thankfully, some people are still calm and rational and not motivated by financial gain.

Several key Republicans urged Gov. Rick Perry on Monday to rescind his executive order making Texas the first state to require girls to be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

Texas State Senator Jane Nelson, chairwoman of the health and human services committee, said it perfectly:

"This is not an emergency," said Nelson, adding that she plans to ask Attorney General Greg Abbott for an opinion on the legality of Perry's order. "It needs to be discussed and debated."

Texas Gov. Urged Against Cancer Order

Perry bypassed the Texas state Legislature and ignored vocal opposition by parents throughout the state.

The AP is reporting that Perry has deep ties with Merck:

Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, his former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government ... Perry also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.

Bravo to the AP for putting Gov. Perry's Merck ties out there. It is completely unethical that somebody with ties to a drug company would make an executive order that all girls should receive that company's vaccine. Why not let the bill go through the Legislature? What's the rush?

This kind of thing should be illegal in the United States. When it comes to our health, no government official should have the right to make an "executive order" that favors a corporation over the people.

Texas Requires Cancer Vaccine for Girls

Tags: cervical cancer, gardasil, hpv, health, merck, cervical cancer vaccine, hpv vaccine

"This is a bill by Merck to pad the coffers of its shareholders under the guise of protecting girls," Heidi Hendricks, a parent of a teen daughter, said at a heated public hearing on the measure.

Supporters of the bill and those like it in other states insist the vaccine has been proven safe. However, they are not being completely upfront with parents and the public in general about the slightly elevated risk of autoimmune disease in Gardasil study participants.

Cancer vaccine takes heavy shots

Tags: cervical cancer, gardasil, hpv, health, merck, cervical cancer vaccine, hpv vaccine, colorado

At least 18 states are considering such measures this year. Drug giant Merck & Co., which makes the only vaccine now available, has funded a group called Women in Government and many of the people who have introduced the bills, including the Colorado sponsor, Sen. Suzanne Williams, D-Aurora, are members.

Colorado considers cervical cancer bill

Tags: cervical cancer, gardasil, hpv, health, merck, cervical cancer vaccine, hpv vaccine

The only significant concern that I appreciated in terms of the safety data was a slight absolute increase in potential autoimmune phenomena (e.g., inflammatory arthritis) in the vaccination group. This will be something to keep an eye on.

CafePharma is a place where people in the pharmaceutical industry can talk to each other about drugs and vaccines in a casual and open way. View the full thread with Dr. Dave here.

Here are the study results he was referring to. The ages of participants ranged from 9 to 26:

In one study involving 11,813 Gardasil recipients, 2 recipients developed rheumatoid arthritis, 5 developed arthritis, and 1 developed reactive arthritis.

In the control group receiving a placebo containing aluminum, 1 recipient developed lupus and 2 recipients developed arthritis.

Out of a total of 21,464 study partipants, there were 17 deaths that Merck says were unrelated to the vaccine. The deaths were broken down as follows:

Out of those who received Gardasil:

4 motor vehicle accidents
1 overdose/suicide
1 pulmonary embolus/deep vein thrombosis
2 cases of sepsis
1 case of pancreatic cancer
1 case of arrhythmia

In the control group receiving an aluminum placebo:

3 motor vehicle accidents
2 overdose/suicides
1 pulmonary embolus/deep vein thrombosis
1 case of asphyxia

Both the Gardasil vaccine and the placebo contained aluminum.

To read the results of the clinical trials yourself, visit this page.

Tags: cervical cancer, gardasil, hpv, health, merck, cervical cancer vaccine, hpv vaccine

You might have noticed recently that the makers of the new HPV vaccine Gardasil really really really want you to try their product. I think the TV commercials are running about every 7.5 seconds. I admit that I tend to be pretty skeptical of the whole women’s health “industry”, so after seeing the ads about five million times, I decided to do some research.

I recommend reading the post and using the items as a jumping off point for your own research. As the author of the article says:

Don't get this vaccine just because your doctor/mom/sister/friend/a perky TV commercial told you to. But don’t not get it just because some chicks with a blog say that they aren’t going to. It’s your health, your decision. Do your own research and accept no guilt trips.

I couldn't have said it better myself!

10 Things You Might Not Know About Gardasil

Tags: cervical cancer, gardasil, hpv, health, merck, cervical cancer vaccine, hpv vaccine

Merck & Co, makers of Gardasil, appear to be the ones spearheading this legislative drive. The company stands to make $1 billion off the drug in 2008.

Merck, which has been arming its lobbyists across the country with information on the vaccine, has been getting an assist from Women in Government, a nonpartisan organization of female legislators whose agenda includes cervical cancer prevention. The group, like breast-cancer activists before it, works through political channels. It also takes corporate donations from Merck.

There are doctors who are warning caution, however:

... some medical experts say lawmakers are moving too fast in their efforts to vaccinate all school-age girls. The American Academy of Pediatrics, for instance, is urging a go-slow approach, with an initial focus on raising public awareness of HPV and more monitoring of the safety of the vaccine ...

Drug firm pushes vaccine mandate

One mother took her daughter to get the vaccine but told her only that it was to prevent a vague form of cancer, not that it was to prevent HPV or cervical cancer.

"She's not a sophisticated girl," the mother said. "My daughter is very uncomfortable discussing anything physical."

One has to wonder which one of the two is really "uncomfortable" discussing anything physical.

Then there's the mother whose daughter didn't want the vaccine, but who relented after a bit of bribery:

"For your safety? Your health? Your future?" Then Shine got creative: "What if you don't have to pay back the $20 you owe me?"

It all seems a bit manipulative. Is there really such a rush to get this vaccine that we need to lie to and bribe our children? It's great that parents are trying to do the right thing for their daughters, but openness and honesty seems like a good idea when it comes to something as serious as this.

A shot in the fight on cervical cancer