LATEST UPDATE: MERCK ON THE RUN AS ROUNDTABLE INCREASES EFFORTS AGAINST HPV MANDATES

The mandatory HPV vaccine battle is reaching critical mass, according to the American Policy Roundtable.Late yesterday, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported Merck and Co. has agreed to cease aggressive lobbying for states to adopt a mandatory inoculation plan for all 11 and 12 year old school girls. Merck and Co. is the manufacturer of Gardasil, a vaccine that prevents several forms of HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. Merck stands to increase sales by billions from the mandatory inoculation plan.

“This is a major concession by Merck” stated David Zanotti, President and CEO of the American Policy Roundtable. “Their agenda has been exposed, and citizen resistance at the state level is rising in Texas, Ohio, Florida and other states. Several members of Congress are also on top of this story and moving to shut off federal funding for mandatory Gardasil inoculations.”

The Roundtable is urging citizens to stay vigilant at the state level. “This statement by Merck is just that – a statement” Zanotti added. “There are still a handful of Merck allies in state legislatures across the country that will keep pushing for the mandatory HPV inoculations, regardless of the huge opposition by medical professionals, legal experts and parents. It is imperative that citizens finish the task and send Merck and their allies a very clear message: Good vaccines are appreciated, but parents should have the final say on what is best for their children.”

The Issue: Mandatory inoculations of children for a sexually transmitted disease

Over the past year, a sudden flurry of legislation mandating forced inoculation of 11 and 12 year old girls for HPV (human papillomavirus) has swept across 20 states. Where did this sudden wave of concern originate?

An organization in Washington D.C. called Women in Government (WIG) has been the primary agency introducing the mandatory inoculation legislation across the nation. This organization is funded largely by corporations, including many major drug companies. Merck Pharmaceuticals is among the financial supporters of WIG. Merck also is the sole manufacturer of Gardasil, the mandated drug used in HPV vaccinations.

In the state of Texas, Governor Perry issued an edict mandating all 11 and 12 year old girls be inoculated. His actions bypassed the state legislature altogether. The Associated Press has linked Governor Perry to both Merck and Women in Government.

The questions that remain unanswered

The creation of a vaccine against HPV, a sexually transmitted disease, is certainly welcome news. However, there are still many unanswered questions regarding this form of treatment including:

1) Are parents advised that Gardasil does not cover every form of HPV virus?
2) What are the side-effects, short and long-term, including the potential for birth defects?
3) Why should state law mandate inoculation for a sexually transmitted disease?
4) Why do these laws force parents to inoculate their children or be banned from public and private schools? (Details on parental "opt-outs" vary from state to state.)
5) At a cost of $360 per child, just how much money does Merck stand to make from this sudden new government mandate upon families?

(See Editorial from the Christian Science Monitor)
Keeping choice on the Gardasil vaccine | csmonitor.com

What you can do
First and foremost, we urge you to protect your family from governmental dictates and medical experimentation. Parents alone should make the medical decisions regarding such treatment. If this vaccine is as beneficial as Merck is proclaiming, let parents choose to utilize it. 

Therefore we urge all citizens in every state to contact their state lawmakers and urge them to stop any initiative requiring mandatory inoculation for HPV.  A list of states where legislation is currently pending is available here. Phone calls and emails work best in reaching lawmakers. Please be polite when talking to your state Representatives and Senators as well as their staff. Many of them are just becoming aware of this controversy. Urge them to review the materials on this website for more details. If you are asked to leave a message, then politely request a return phone call or follow up letter from your Representative and/or Senator.

Check out the resources to the right to understand more.