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ACT NOW ON HOUSE BILL 345!

House Bill 345 — Mandatory HPV Vaccine
sponsored by Rep. David Watkins (D-Henderson)

PURPOSE: The purpose of the vaccine is to help prevent the sexually transmitted disease, HPV, from causing cervical cancer in women. The purpose of the bill is to require all young girls as young as the 6th grade to be vaccinated before they are allowed to go to school.

BILL HISTORY: The vaccine was just been developed and only completed its basic testing last summer. Therefore, there has been no previous attempt to mandate it on any segment of the society.

EXPECTATION: Given the conservative nature of Kentuckians and the fact that the vaccine has not been fully tested on girls as young as the bill mandates, there is reason to believe that the mandatory aspect of the bill could be dropped (if citizens communicate with their legislators).

BACKGROUND: The pharmaceutical giant Merck released the first vaccine that prevents the transmission of some forms of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) last summer. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that in some relatively rare cases results in cervical cancer. The new vaccine, Gardasil, targets 4 strands of HPV, which are responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.

Merck has been advertising across the country and lobbying state legislatures for mandatory vaccinations for girls entering the sixth grade. Critics contend that while the drug may be promising, the forced vaccination of young girls usurps parental prudence as well as parental rights. Parents claim that the decision whether or not to vaccinate should be in the hands of parents, physicians, and the girls themselves — not the state. This is particularly true given the fact that the vaccine has not been thoroughly tested on girls as young as those who are mandated to be vaccinated.

Family advocates have suggested that the best course of action should be education, not coercion. Abstinence educators contend that since condoms are ineffective against HPV and 30 percent of cervical cancer cases are not protected by the vaccine, abstinence must be pursued to protect all women for cervical cancer – and all of the 25 other sexually transmitted diseases that ravage the country.

According to Wall Street analysts, Merck is predicted to have $1 billion dollars in sales next year and, with state mandates in place, that sales figure could balloon to $4 billion dollars within five years. Given the high stakes, Merck has been pouring money into political campaigns and funneling money into a group called Women in Government.

STATUS: HB 345 passed the House on Feb. 22 with a vote of 59-39. 

ACTION: Please call the toll free legislative message line – 1-800-372-7181 – and leave this message for your senator:

"Please make House Bill 345 TOTALLY VOLUNTARY. Parents, not the legislature, should be in control of their daughter’s health care."

The message line is open from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 6:00 p.m. EST on Friday.