To Protect

Merck, pharmaceutical giant, is the sole manufacturer of the Gardasil vaccine. Gardasil is a vaccine to protect against HPV, the leading cause of cervical Cancer. There has been a lot of press on this vaccine lately. Recent news has brought on a new controversy surrounding the vaccine and that is making the vaccine mandatory for girls. Right now the vaccine is approved for ages 9 to 26, and is optional. Why all the controversy? Well it involves sex and religion, that is why. It is mandatory for your child to have the Hepatitis B vaccine series and what are the chances your child would get Hepatitis B? Did you know that 88% of infection of Hepatitis B comes from sexual exposure and IV drug abuse? Chances are your child will not have these habits so young, but we vaccinate without question. So why the hype for the Gardisil vaccine? There are 30 strains of the human papilloma virus. It can lay dormant in your system for months to years. This means your daughter could contract the virus from her husband 20 years into her marriage. (there have been cases). Most cases of HPV are from sex, some from oral sex, and some from skin to skin contact. Do you want to protect her or not? Will this vaccine make your daughter go out and have sex? Getting a vaccine will not make her or prevent her from having sex. It only take one partner to contract the virus.

I know the work "mandatory" sends a lot of people gasping for air, but if we didn't have mandatory vaccines, there would be a lot of people who would go without. Plus this forces the insurance companies to pick up the tab, and it is a hefty tab. What will be your decision?