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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/23/2007 12:25:20 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Indiana: Calls Needed on Immunization Reporting For Pre-Teen Girls |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== March 23, 2007 Indiana: Calls Needed on Immunization Reporting For Pre-Teen Girls Dear HSLDA members and friends, We have just learned of a concerning development in Senate Bill 327. This is the bill that would require schools to report whether girls between the ages of 11 to 12 have been immunized against four types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a disease that is transmitted by sexual contact. This bill has passed the Senate and was in the House Public Health Committee. However, the Committee just voted Wednesday to pass the bill with an amendment. The amendment defines "school" to include all public and registered nonpublic schools but also specifically exempts "homeschools." The problem with this is that homeschoolers operate as nonpublic schools under Indiana law. This would be the first time under Indiana statutes that the word "homeschool" would be inserted. This could begin a slippery slope to separate homeschools from other nonpublic schools and increase the risk of the legislature defining homeschools in the future. We believe it would be better to remove this language and instead exempt all nonpublic schools (which would include homeschools) from this reporting requirement on the HPV vaccine. Senate Bill 327 is before the full House and could be voted on as early as Monday. Your calls are needed now to have the bill amended on the floor. A couple of representatives will offer an amendment on the floor to exempt all nonpublic schools from this bill when it comes up. Please call now to help remove nonpublic schools from these reporting requirements. REQUESTED ACTION: 1) Please contact your state representative and give him or her this message in your own words: "Please support the amendment to Senate Bill 327 to exempt all nonpublic schools from having to file reports on the HPV vaccine. The decision of whether parents should have their child immunized against HPV should be between the family and their doctor. All nonpublic schools should be exempt from these reporting requirements." Please do not identify yourself as a homeschoolers, but instead call as a concerned parent and constituent. You can use HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox to find the name and contact information for your state representative. You can also contact the Indiana Legislature at (317) 232-9600 or 1 (800) 382-9842. BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a group of viruses that have about 100 different strains or types. Over 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted. While most HPV infections are dealt with by the body's immune system and no symptoms occur, there are several types that can cause cancer or genital warts. For more information about HPV see the Center for Disease Control and Prevention information at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3788 . Those who are most likely to get HPV are those who have sex at an early age, have many sex partners, or have a sex partner who has had many partners. However, the only FDA approved HPV vaccine, Gardasil, (http://www.gardasil.com/ )is not a cure for HPV or cervical cancer. Instead the vaccine seeks to prevent an individual from contracting the four specific types of HPV (6, 11, 16, and 18) which are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. There is currently no cure for these sexually transmitted viruses. Even the FDA and the CDE admit the only "cure" is abstinence before marriage and a monogamous relationship during marriage. There have been no long-term studies of the HPV vaccine. Children in the 9-year-old age group have been monitored for only 18 months and there have been no studies on the carcinogenic risk or the general toxicity of the vaccine itself. From July 2006 to the end of 2006, there were 385 unique reports of adverse events filed with the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) following the receipt of the vaccine. For a full review of these reports please see http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3789 . Additionally, there is some concern that rushing to mandate the HPV vaccine for pre-teen girls will not have the intended affect of preventing cervical cancer. Early immunization may not be effective because the vaccine could wear off before the person is most susceptible. Gardasil has only been proven to have five years of effectiveness. While there appears to be a 10-to-15-year incubation period for certain HPV types potentially becoming cervical cancer, the average age a woman contracts cervical cancer is in her mid 40s. For more information see http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3790 . Over the past few months, Merck, the pharmaceutical manufacturer of Gardasil, has lobbied vigorously to mandate the HPV vaccine for middle school age girls. At present there are over 34 states where HPV bills have been introduced. A few state legislatures have already defeated HPV bills this year. Due to all of the concerns raised about mandating the Gardasil vaccine to middle school age girls, Merck has abandoned its efforts to lobby state legislatures to require the vaccine. Thank you for your time to make the call on behalf of freedom of private schools in Indiana. Sincerely, Thomas J. (Tj) Schmidt HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Who's knocking on your door? 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