See the article below…

There also has been a fiece, engaging debate on the HPV vaccination on the posting I did a week or so ago. Be sure to go back and check out the comments if you have an interest in this subject.

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The chief of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department opposes forcing girls to receive a new vaccine that protects against viruses believed to cause cervical cancer.
“I really don’t think it should be mandatory,” said Dr. Kerry Gately.

A bill making human papilloma virus vaccination mandatory has been introduced in the state Legislature, which is in the midst of its annual 60-day regular session. It has eight sponsors, including Delegate Bonnie Brown, D-Kanawha, and has been referred to the House Health and Human Resources Committee.

Such bills have been introduced in 16 other states and the District of Columbia over the past several months.

Gately’s two daughters already have begun the three-shot vaccination process, but he disagrees with the idea that the drug should be forced on anyone.

“There are a lot of issues that need to be discussed,” Gately said.

Some of those issues, according to Dr. Mohammed Ashraf, a gynecological oncologist with Women’s Health Care of Morgantown, include religious beliefs, people’s freedom to decide what they put in their bodies and educating people about what the vaccine really does.

The vaccine doesn’t eliminate every complication that can occur in the vagina, and that is something people need to be aware of, Ashraf said.

“You still have to get Pap tests,” said Ashraf.

Dr. Robert Smith, a gynecologist with Women’s Health Care, said teen pregnancy rates rose after use of birth control pills became widespread.

The new vaccine, which is made by the Merck drug company and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last June, is called Gardasil. It has been hailed as a breakthrough that protects against infections that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.

The World Health Organization says cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer in women. Statistics indicate it will strike about 11,150 women in this country this year and cause 3,670 deaths.

Some opponents believe its use could lead to an increase in promiscuity and unprotected intercourse.

“What if there is a segment of the population where the treatment is worse than the cure?” asked Smith.

Long-term side effects of the vaccine are unknown. Some doctors note that if the intent is the elimination of HPV, only half of the testing has been done.

“They haven’t tested it on boys yet,” said Ashraf, but he feels confident that will happen soon. He also believes the testing of Gardasil to date is sufficient for widespread use.

While the intent is to reduce the risk of cervical cancer caused by HPV, Smith, like Gately, doesn’t think vaccination should be mandatory.

Mandatory vaccinations in this country so far have been to protect public school students from diseases that are commonly transmitted in classrooms.

“We’re talking about different types of diseases,” Smith said of HPV versus diseases like measles or whooping cough.

“You can’t get HPV through casual contact,” he said, noting that it’s transmitted through intercourse.

This is what makes it stand apart from most diseases for which there are mandatory vaccines, said Gately.

The American Cancer Society reports that the death rate of cervical cancer has been decreasing by 4 percent a year and credits the decline to more women having regular Pap smears.

Although cervical cancer once was one of the main causes of death among women in the United States, the rate declined 74 percent between 1955 and 1972 when the Pap smear began to be used widely.

“It’s a cancer that’s easily detected if you have a Pap smear,” said Smith.

If it is detected early, women also are more likely to remain fertile.

Another factor yet to be addressed is how long the vaccine will last before women will need a booster, said Smith.

The Mayo Clinic reports that half of cervical cancer cases occur in women aged 35 to 55 years old.

If the vaccine were given to girls as young as 9 years old and it were effective for only a few years, that could mean a lot of booster shots, and a much higher cost for whoever is paying, whether it is the patient or the taxpayer.

Gardisil is a very expensive vaccine at $120 a shot, with a series of three shots required.

“I think this is something that all parents should talk with their children about,” said Gately, but as far as mandatory vaccination is concerned, “We’re not ready.”