Muldoon Web of Lies–Part Three

It was my intention to end the Muldoon Web of Lies series after the second part. However, #15 of Lieutenant Governor candidate Patrick Muldoon’s 30 reasons to “annoy a delegate with crazy rants” e-mail deserved some clarification.

Muldoon claims in his e-mail:

As many of you know, during the 2007 General Assembly session, House Bill 2035 was passed requiring that 12 year-olds girls be vaccinated for the sexually transmitted disease Human papillomavirus (HPV).

This legislation was a gross infringement on parental rights and put Virginia’s young girls at great risk by mandating an unproven vaccination for an STD that they have no chance of contracting in the classroom.

This legislation was the result of an aggressive multimillion dollar advertising campaign by Merck and other pharmaceutical companies.

In fact, House Bill 2035 mandates that 12 year-olds receive an STD vaccine that wasn’t even proven effective for their age group, unless their parents affirmatively opt out. Just try telling your pediatrician that you don’t want your middle schooler vaccinated … and get ready for an earful thanks to the mandate and Merck’s multimillion-dollar saturation advertising, PR and “physician education” campaign, which included funding for Bill Bolling’s “End Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime” effort.

I believe parental rights needs to be protected and mandating an untested STD vaccination for 12 year-old girls is not looking out for Virginia families. While I support the effort to end cervical cancer, I do not believe that forcing an unproven vaccine on young girls is the solution.

I will fight for Virginia’s parents and children, by seeking to repeal the STD vaccine mandate for young girls. And I will promote abstinence and monogamy, not the so called “safe sex” agenda.

Well, let’s look at the real truth. First, Bill Bolling does not, has not, and will not support mandatory vaccinations for HPV for anyone. Second, the program that Bolling participated in was a bipartisan national program that encouraged women to visit their doctors, and attempted to educate them about the link between HPV and cancer. The program recommended abstinence as the best method of avoiding HPV, and the vaccine only in terms of consultation with a doctor.

As for the “mandatory vaccine” claim, the State Senate passed legislation that added the HPV vaccine to the list of required vaccinations before a child enters school, but the opt-out basically neutralizes it.

§ 32.1-46. Immunization of patients against certain diseases.
12. (Effective October 1, 2008) Three doses of properly spaced human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for females. The first dose shall be administered before the child enters the sixth grade.

The parent, guardian or person standing in loco parentis may have such child immunized by a physician or registered nurse or may present the child to the appropriate local health department, which shall administer the vaccines required by the State Board of Health Regulations for the Immunization of School Children without charge.

B. A physician, registered nurse or local health department administering a vaccine required by this section shall provide to the person who presents the child for immunizations a certificate that shall state the diseases for which the child has been immunized, the numbers of doses given, the dates when administered and any further immunizations indicated.

C. The vaccines required by this section shall meet the standards prescribed in, and be administered in accordance with, regulations of the Board.

D. The provisions of this section shall not apply if:

1. The parent or guardian of the child objects thereto on the grounds that the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with his religious tenets or practices, unless an emergency or epidemic of disease has been declared by the Board;

2. The parent or guardian presents a statement from a physician licensed to practice medicine in Virginia, or a licensed nurse practitioner, that states that the physical condition of the child is such that the administration of one or more of the required immunizing agents would be detrimental to the health of the child; or

3. (Effective October 1, 2008) Because the human papillomavirus is not communicable in a school setting, a parent or guardian, at the parent’s or guardian’s sole discretion, may elect for the parent’s or guardian’s child not to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine, after having reviewed materials describing the link between the human papillomavirus and cervical cancer approved for such use by the Board.

Finally, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that this vaccine can SAVE LIVES. Saying that giving a child this vaccine will encourage them to have sex is like saying giving a kid a tetanus shot makes them more likely to jump into a pile of rusty nails.

In addition to this, there seem to be a lot of misconceptions about what the vaccine is and what it does. Here’s a bit of background:

The facts are as follows:

n Gardasil does only protect against four strains of HPV (types 6,11,16, and 18), but these strains are responsible for 70% of the cervical cancer cases, and 90% of genital warts. Complaining that it doesn’t work on the remaining strains is like complaining that your bulletproof vest doesn’t protect you from a swift kick to the shins.

n Gardasil has been thoroughly tested and approved by the FDA for girls aged 9-26.

o From http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2006/new01385.html
Four studies, one in the United States and three multinational, were conducted in 21,000 women to show how well Gardasil worked in women between the ages of 16 and 26 by giving them either the vaccine or placebo. The results showed that in women who had not already been infected, Gardasil was nearly 100 percent effective in preventing precancerous cervical lesions, precancerous vaginal and vulvar lesions, and genital warts caused by infection with the HPV types against which the vaccine is directed. While the study period was not long enough for cervical cancer to develop, the prevention of these cervical precancerous lesions is believed highly likely to result in the prevention of those cancers.

The studies also evaluated whether the vaccine can protect women already infected with some HPV types included in the vaccine from developing diseases related to those viruses. The results show that the vaccine is only effective when given prior to infection.

Two studies were also performed to measure the immune response to the vaccine among younger females aged 9-15 years. Their immune response was as good as that found in 16-26 year olds, indicating that the vaccine should have similar effectiveness when used in the 9-15 year age group.

n Some people have pointed to the fact that there have been a handful of severe reactions as proof that Gardasil is somehow unsafe. According to the FDA (http://www.fda.gov/CBER/safety/gardasil071408.htm), of the approx 16,000,000 doses administered in the US, “As of June 30, 2008, there have been 9,749 VAERS reports of adverse events following Gardasil vaccination. Of these, 94% were classified as reports of non-serious events, and 6% as serious events.” That makes for a serious event rate of .00365%. In a population that size, that’s not statistically significant. None of these events have actually been linked to the vaccine by any sort of medical follow- up. The FDA concludes:

SUMMARY

Based on the review of available information by FDA and CDC, Gardasil continues to be safe and effective, and its benefits continue to outweigh its risks.

CDC has not changed its recommendations for use of Gardasil. FDA has not made any changes to the prescribing information for how the vaccine is used or to the vaccine’s Precautions. In addition, FDA routinely reviews manufacturing information, and has not identified any issues affecting the safety, purity and potency of Gardasil.

Public health and safety are priorities for FDA and CDC. As with all licensed vaccines, we will continue to closely monitor the safety of Gardasil. FDA and CDC continue to find that Gardasil is a safe and effective vaccine that will potentially benefit the health of millions of women by providing protection against the types of HPV that cause the majority of cervical cancer, genital warts, and other HPV-related diseases.

n Gardasil is not injected into the cervix, it’s injected into the upper arm or thigh.

From www.drugs.com/gardasil
How is Gardasil given?

Gardasil is given as an injection (shot) into a muscle in your upper arm or thigh. You will receive this injection in a doctor’s office or other clinic setting.

Gardasil is given in a series of 3 shots. You may have the first shot at any time as long as you are between the ages of 9 and 26 years old. Then you will need to receive a second dose 2 months after your first shot, and a third dose 6 months after your first shot.

Be sure to receive all doses of Gardasil recommended by your healthcare provider or by the health department of the state you live in. If you do not receive the full series of vaccines, you may not be fully protected against the disease.

Gardasil should not be used in place of having a routine pelvic exam and Pap smear to screen for cervical cancer.

n The image some people want to conjure up of 12 year old girls being pulled out of class and frog-marched to the nurses office where they’re strapped down and pumped full of drugs is just false. The legislation that passed incorporates the HPV vaccine into the list that all students are required to get before they enter school (measles, mumps, polio, etc). Since there is a no-cause parental opt-out, the legislation pretty much boils down to requiring the school system to provide parents a pamphlet on HPV and Cervical cancer.

§ 32.1-46. Immunization of patients against certain diseases.

D.3. (Effective October 1, 2008) Because the human papillomavirus is not communicable in a school setting, a parent or guardian, at the parent’s or guardian’s sole discretion, may elect for the parent’s or guardian’s child not to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine, after having reviewed materials describing the link between the human papillomavirus and cervical cancer approved for such use by the Board.

§ The Catholic Diocese of Virginia released the following letter, which states, “There is nothing intrinsically immoral associated with providing or receiving the HPV vaccine.” While the bishops do not agree with the timeline in which the legislation was enacted, they clearly recognize that a need exists for such a vaccine, and that providing the strong parental opt-out was the correct course to take.

http://www.catholicvirginian.org/archive/2009/2009vol84iss12/pages/article4.html

Virginia Bishops speak to parents about HPV vaccine

March 24, 2009

Dear Concerned Parents:

In June of 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gardasil, a vaccine for females that is designed to prevent four strains of human papillomavirus (HPV). A law passed by our state legislature the following year — requiring the Virginia Department of Health to provide parents of rising sixth grade girls with information on HPV and the HPV vaccine — has recently taken effect.

According to this new law, schools (including non-public schools) are responsible for providing this information to those parents before the end of the current school year.

As you receive the state-required information, we wish to offer some information and observations for your consideration.

Considerations Regarding Catholic Teaching

The Catholic Church teaches generally that immunizing against disease is an important and morally responsible action. There is nothing intrinsically immoral associated with providing or receiving the HPV vaccine.

It is necessary to acknowledge the prevalence of HPV, the many deaths and other health problems it has caused, and the appropriateness of combating it. The four types of HPV that the vaccine is designed to prevent cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts.

At the same time, the Church also teaches that parents are the primary educators and caregivers of their children. Their discretion in deciding what health care measures are necessary and appropriate for their children must be fully respected by the state.

We believe that governments must be especially mindful of the difficult situation parents face when considering an immunization for a sexually transmitted disease for their young daughters. With many popular forces in today’s society encouraging irresponsible and immoral behavior, parents are rightly concerned that their daughters not receive a mixed message about the importance of chastity.

However, we also recognize that the prevalence of HPV makes exposure to the virus possible even in a marriage, due to the possibility of a spouse’s exposure as a result of sexual activity prior to marriage. Sadly, we also live in a society where non-consensual sex remains a threat to young women and therefore a source of potential exposure to HPV.

Legislative Debate

Since the FDA’s approval of Gardasil, there has been much public debate regarding the government’s role in promoting or even mandating the vaccine for school-aged girls. In Virginia, debate about this new vaccine led to the General Assembly’s enactment of legislation requiring the parents of girls about to enter the sixth grade to receive information from the state describing the link between HPV and cervical cancer and the availability of the new HPV vaccine.

During the course of this debate, the Virginia Catholic Conference (www.vacatholic.org), which is the public-policy agency of our two dioceses, emphasized two main points on our behalf:

• The primary responsibility for this medical decision must reside with parents. Parental discretion is critical and must not be subordinated to the state.
• Rather than enacting legislation prematurely, the more prudent path would have been to allow more time to gather information about this very new vaccine and assess any risks that may be associated with it. The long-term safety and effectiveness of the vaccine are unknown.

The Law and the Choice for Parents

The bill that was enacted is consistent with the first point: It contains no vaccination requirement. Parents will receive the information and have complete discretion to decide for themselves what is in the best interests of their daughters.

In our view, however, the second point merits heightened attention as well. Given that the long-term effects of the vaccine are unknown, parents may wish to explore the significance of this issue further, through consultation with a family physician and through additional research.

Also, because HPV is spread through sexual contact, parents who choose the vaccine for their daughters may find it appropriate to communicate their desire both to prevent HPV infection and to warn against the behavior by which HPV is spread.

Ultimately, because each child is unique, each parent is in the best position to determine the right approach, in terms of the medical decision and the most effective way of discussing it with his or her daughter. We encourage you, therefore, to review the state-compiled information thoroughly and to seek additional information. Two resources that we recommend are:

• The Catholic Medical Association’s Position Paper on HPV Immunization (http://www.cathmed.org/publications/cma_statement_hpv_vaccine_jan07.pdf)
• The Statement of the National Catholic Bioethics Center on Vaccination against HPV (http://www.ncbcenter.org/06-07-11-hpv_vaccine.asp).

In addition to these two recommended resources, there are many other written sources on which we offer no opinion but which nevertheless may have information worth considering. Three such sources are:

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration website’s section on vaccines (http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccines.htm)
• The HPV Vaccine Information Statement produced by the U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hpv.pdf)
• A link about the vaccine on the manufacturer’s website (http://www.merck.com/newsroom/press_releases/product/2008_0708.html)

Thank you for permitting us the opportunity to share these thoughts, which we hope will be of value as you make this important parental decision.

Faithfully Yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde

Bishop of Arlington

Most Reverend Francis X. DiLorenzo

Bishop of Richmond

There you have it: the real truth about the HPV vaccine claim. What else will the Muldoon campaign come up with next?

**Cross Posted at Virginia News Platoon