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| Date: From: Subject: | 9/21/2007 4:35:15 PM Home School Legal Defense Association District of Columbia: Repeal HPV Vaccine Law |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== District of Columbia: Repeal HPV Vaccine Law Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, On July 12, 2007, The D.C. Council adopted into law the requirement that the human papillomavirus, or HPV vaccination be administered to all girls enrolling into the 6th grade. The Washington Post has reported that some members of the council wish to reconsider or repeal this law. The mayor's office, with other organizations, is hosting an event called "Protecting Our Girls: A Forum on Mandatory HPV Vaccinations in the Washington Region." The forum is scheduled for 6-8 p.m., September 25 at the Reeves Center located at 2000 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20009. HSLDA encourages you to attend this forum to make your opinion known to the policy makers in attendance. For more information go to: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4422 . Reporters are also looking to interview parents of girls of the age to enter 4th grade who oppose mandatory HPV vaccination. If you are willing to be interviewed by a reporter on this subject, please contact Debbie Billet-Roumell at (301) 718-8750. REQUESTED ACTION: Attend the forum and call your council member Please contact the members of Washington, D.C., Council and give them this message in your own words: "Please repeal law L17-0010, which mandates that virtually all young girls be immunized against HPV. Immunizing young girls with a vaccine that is being questioned by doctors is not wise; it may even be harmful. Even pharmaceutical companies no longer lobby for these bills because of the short-term effectiveness of this vaccine." Vincent C. Gray, Council Chair (202)724-8032 Jack Evans, Chair Pro Tempore/Ward Two (202)724-8058 Carol Schwartz (202) 724-8105 David Catania (202) 724-8170 Phil Mendelson (202) 724-8137 Kwame R. Brown (202)-724-8174 Jim Graham (202) 724-8181 Mary M. Cheh (202)724-8062 Muriel Bowser (202) 724-8052 Harry Thomas Jr. (202) 724-8028 Tommy Wells (202) 724-8072 Yvette Alexander (202) 724.8068 Marion Barry (202) 724-8045 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 cervical cancer or genital warts. For more information about HPV see the Center for Disease Control and Prevention information here: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4423 . 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 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=4424. 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 proven 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. 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 41 states where HPV bills have been introduced. 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 support. Sincerely, Michael P. Donnelly HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> What do you look like when you get out of bed? It's hard to look our best all the time. HSLDA works to present homeschooling in an engaging, dynamic, and informative light to the public news media. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1104 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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