Texas Governor Orders HPV Vaccinations for Texas School Girls

Last Friday Texas Governor Rick Perry bypassed the state legislature and issued an executive order mandating that beginning in September 2008, girls entering the sixth grade will have to be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted stain of human papillovavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. The New York Times reported that last year in Texas there were 1,169 new cases of cervical cancer and 391 deaths. There was an immediate backlash from Democrats and Perry’s usual supporters, Christian conservative groups. The stated reasons were him usurping the authority of the state legislature and the rights of parents. A retired state judge says Perry’s decree is unconstitutional. Of course a lot of that anger from the Christian right stems from the disease being sexually transmitted and the thought being if you vaccinate these girls, it’s like giving them permission to go out and have sex, basically the same argument you’d get against distributing condoms to prevent HIV or sex education that doesn’t only preach absence. Very progressive of Governor Perry you’d think, until you realize that progressive and “Good Hair” Perry doesn’t go together. Why would he risk alienating his base to do this?

The drug company Merck & Co. contributed $6,000 to Perry’s re-election campaign. Not a lot of money, but the company has been lobbying around the country to have their vaccine Gardasil to be mandated for use by young girls around the age of 11 and 12. One of their lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, Perry’s former chief-of-staff. So they are spending a lot of money hoping for a big payday. There are three doses required that together cost $360. Merck could make a killing in this state alone; think if it were mandated by all the states.

There are so many reasons to be against this, yet knowing the reasons some people are against it makes you think maybe Perry is doing the right thing. Yet when you go with his record and his constant assaults against the health and well being of Texas citizens, you have to feel like it’s for financial and political reasons. From his state of the state address it looks like he’s trying to appear to be a more moderate figure. I wonder if he thinks being another “compassionate conservative” from Texas just might help him get on the GOP’s national ticket. Even though I’m sure Perry did it for all the wrong reasons, I can’t say that he’s wrong. For a matter this profound, it’s senseless to not to debate this in the legislature. Not that I trust the legislature anymore than I do Perry, but at least it would give us time to study it more and get more facts on this vaccine. Even though Gardasil is FDA approved, it’s a new vaccine and I wouldn’t want the girls of Texas to be their primary guinea pigs.