Illinois Right to Life News for Friday, February 16, 2007 

Defending life, or not?  

Senators willing to defend life are urging President Bush to make it clear that he will veto any legislation that weakens Pro-Life policies.  Thirty-five senators sent a letter to the President on February 15th asking him to "issue a letter to Congress reaffirming the White House's Pro-Life stance."  Although not a majority, these 35 senators constitute enough votes to sustain a Presidential veto of anti-life bills passed by the pro-abortion majority in Congress.  There is precedent for this type of pre-emptive declaration.  President George H.W. Bush issued just such a letter to the Democrat-controlled Congress in 1991.   There are a number of anti-life bills that might be considered this year, so it is encouraging that these senators are willing to reaffirm their commitment to protecting human life. 

Details are not yet available, but apparently the State of Illinois will be wasting taxpayer dollars to appeal Judge Coar’s ruling in favor of Choose Life license plates.  On February 16th Judge Coar granted a stay of his order to produce the plates while the appeal moves forward.  Many people have already indicated their intent to purchase the Choose Life plate when it becomes available.   That list will continue to grow.

The negatives surrounding the HPV vaccine Gardasil continue to multiply.  On February 16th I received an email from a woman who is concerned that the FDA fast tracked approval of Gardasil.  She has become aware of a number of financial angles that seem to be overriding concern for the true efficacy of the vaccine or its potential negative impacts on women’s health.  Ironically, this investigator was previously honored by the National Organization for Women (NOW).  She is aware that NOW has endorsed Gardasil.  She and others have sent a complaint to the NOW leadership indicating that pushing Gardasil is not in the best interest of women.

Double Standard Deluxe 

Illinois Right to Life News for Tuesday, February 6, 2007 

Update on threat of mandatory HPV vaccinations

On February 2nd, Texas Governor Rick Perry issued an executive order to mandate the HPV vaccine for girls entering the sixth grade.  His action not only violates the rights of parents, but violates the legislative process as well.   Governor Perry should know better because he is considered a conservative Republican.  Apparently, all it took was campaign support from Merck and friends there to motivate him to ignore the principles of limited government, parents’ rights, and respecting the roles of each branch of government.

A bill had been submitted in the Texas legislature to mandate the HPV vaccine.  This fact further emphasizes the audacity of Perry’s action.   He issued his executive order because it was clear that the Texas Legislature was listening to constituents and was not going to mandate the HPV vaccine.

Petitions and other actions to motivate Perry to reverse his executive order are moving forward.  The petition from a non-partisan coalition of advocacy groups designated under the umbrella of the “Hands Off Our Kids Coalition” includes some shocking news about the HPV vaccine, called Gardasil.  Within the section on vaccine efficacy and safety, that petition states: “The adverse effects of this vaccine must be considered.   According to the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), the federal Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS) is now receiving reports of loss of consciousness, seizures, and neurological disorders such as loss of vision, slurred speech, numbness and tingling following administration of the vaccine in the few months since its approval last June.”

These safety risks are just one more important reason why parents should be deciding whether their daughters will receive the Gardasil inoculation.  It is truly unfortunate that Governor Perry took this poorly conceived step to mandate the HPV vaccine for sixth grade girls.  His bad example will surely motivate other governors to consider following a similar course.  So far, legislation to mandate the HPV vaccine was not getting a warm reception.  Of the 15 states where such bills have been introduced, three states (Michigan, Indiana, and Maryland) have already rejected the mandate.  No states have passed a legislative mandate so far.

Even liberal sources are against mandating the HPV vaccine.  In recent days, both the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune have run editorials that express opposition to a mandate.  Will Governor Blagojevich resort to an executive order to mandate the HPV vaccine in Illinois if it becomes obvious that HB 115 cannot pass in the Illinois Legislature?  Stay tuned.

Illinois Right to Life News for Friday, February 2, 2007

Threat of mandatory HPV vaccinations for sixth grade girls

Shortly after the HPV vaccine, called Gardasil, was approved by the FDA, the push for laws to “encourage” its use by virtually all girls entering the sixth grade began in earnest.  Of course, such an approach is a great financial benefit to Merck, expected to make billions off Gardasil.  Merck has assisted an organization called Women In Government to push for mandated vaccination, by providing them an undisclosed amount of “unrestricted” funding.  In a press release posted on their own web site, it states, “Women In Government, a Washington-based, bipartisan organization of female legislators, is leading a push to make HPV vaccination compulsory in every state.”

Legislation dealing with HPV vaccine requirements for girls in school has been introduced in 15 states, including Illinois, according to a map posted on the Women In Government web site dated 1/20/07.  So far, no state has enacted this legislation.  HB 115 was introduced in the Illinois House under the title “HPV Prevention.”  HB 115 mandates that parents of girls entering the sixth grade must “submit a statement signed by a physician to the effect that the parent or guardian received information on the connection between HPV and cervical cancer and verifying that the child received the HPV vaccine or that the parent or guardian, having received the information, elected not to have the child receive the HPV vaccine.”

In a lengthy statement of concern about the HPV vaccine, the American College of Pediatricians (ACP) states that the organization “is opposed to any legislation which would require HPV vaccination for school attendance.  Excluding children from school for refusal to be vaccinated for a disease spread only by penetrating vaginal intercourse is a serious, precedent-setting action that trespasses on the right of parents to make medical decisions for their children as well as on the rights of the children to attend school.”  According to the Family Research Council, even the American Academy of Pediatrics is “urging a go-slow approach on school mandates.”  Unfortunately, the Academy does not appear to reject mandates, but only supports a delay until more information is available about the reliability of the vaccine.  Regarding reliability, ACP’s statement notes “ the duration of protection offered by HPV vaccination is uncertain” and points to past history with other vaccines that were later found to need boosters to be effective.  Even with the full effectiveness claimed by Merck, Gardasil will not prevent strains of HPV that are known to cause 30% of cervical cancer cases.