January 31st, 2007 at 10:44 am
Eight months ago I discussed mandatory HPV vaccination, concluding that the increased risk in cervical cancer from not getting vaccinated isn’t why premarital sex should be discouraged.
AP reports the true push for mandatory vaccination: Merck, the supplier of Fardasil, wants to force everyone to buy it. It is lobbying state legislatures for mandatory vaccination. Simply put, this is corporate welfare. The chance for cancer protection should provide sufficient incentive for people to buy the vaccine, but apparently projected sales of $1 billion/year isn’t enough for Merck.
The New Jersey-based drug company could generate billions in sales if Gardasil — at $360 for the three-shot regimen — were made mandatory across the country. Most insurance companies now cover the vaccine, which has been shown to have no serious side effects.
Yet. There are always trade-offs.
There is not a sufficient public health concern to mandate vaccination due to the low transmission risk of the virus. The decision to buy the vaccine and assume its risk should be left to parents.
Another incident of legislating demand is being considered in California, where incandescent light bulbs are on the verge of being banned. Rather than turning California into North Korea, though, they want to force everyone to buy fluorescent light bulbs.
That number could more than double this year. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. alone wants to sell 100 million CFLs at its stores by the end of 2007, the world’s biggest retailer said in November.
While it will not give opinion on the possible California law, the EPA recommends CFLs.
“They save money and energy,” EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said. “They are more convenient than other alternatives and come in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any fixture.”
I own a couple of these myself. The delay from switch-on to light is a little annoying, and some people have reported flicker from these things. If these bulbs are so great, why not let people just choose to buy them?
January 31st, 2007 at 2:55 pm
I hate the idea of forcing people to buy things, period. I hate how restrictive the state of California is with what they let into their state. They already stop you at their border (or they have in the past) to insure you are not bringing in fruit or plants that are forbidden (so much for that Constitution thingy.) Will they search your car for incandescent light bulbs too? Will there be a black market in incandescent light bulbs?
I absolutely abhor the cheery “One Less” commercial for the HPV vaccination. I really hate it that it is shown during prime time, although I know my daughters are approaching their target audience. But I feel an obligation to explain to my daughters as much as they can understand that they don’t need this vaccination if they do not engage in certain other behaviors. Forcing me to bring up stuff with my girls before I feel they’re ready. Hate it.
Wonder what the penalties will be if you refuse to go along with a mandatory vaccination?
January 31st, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Well, the fruit thing is to prevent pests that are living on the fruit you bring in from contaminating their fruit…since produce is one of their major industries, if their is an infestation it cripples the whole economy. Remember the Mediterranean Fruit Fly infestation in the early 80’s? The desert surrounding California is a natural barrier from the blights that are in the rest of the country. They like to keep it that way. They usually don’t ask if you come from areas where that is not an issue. When I had Nevada or California plates on my car, they generally waved me through. (married to a Californian, lived there for 7 years, and am still relatively sane!)
They also are rather nutty about saving energy now, with all the brown out issues. That’s why they are regulating whatever they can. But that is nuts. The flicker does bother me terribly. But the Agriculture stops won’t check for those
Now back to vaccines….The reasons why you gave for the HPV vaccine is the same reason why most states now require the Varicella vaccine (Chicken Pox). It is a good thing for those who have severe asthma and immune system issues, but for the majority of us, it is not a dangerous illness, and we are better off being exposed to it than to have our immunities wear off in our 30’s when it is life-threatening. However, not enough was being sold to warrant making it, so the pharmaceutical company threatened to stop. And not to mention daycare and schools want to do whatever they can to keep kids from being sick for 2 weeks.
I keep thinking about the RSV virus that they put out a few years ago, that caused severe, life-threatening intestinal blockage in the babies that they were meant to protect.
February 1st, 2007 at 5:06 pm
It was actually the Rotavirus vaccine that caused the intestinal blockage and they pulled it from the market - but it is back and will be on the list of “required vaccinations” before you know. It is a “reformulation”, but speaking as a parent with a child with autism - I don’t want to hear anything about mandatory vaccinations at this point. We were told everything was safe, but amazingly enough we are chelating heavy metals out of our child. So I am not completely trusting of the government and their deciding what is best for me and mine.
February 1st, 2007 at 9:24 pm
You are right…it was rotavirus….I thought they were the same….
I understand what you mean Kandee….my son was put on a medication for esophogeal reflux that was later pulled because over 30 babies died because it caused heart problems (cisapride). My mother also had strokes that were related to hormone replacement therapy.
Medicine can be as much of a guessing game as the rest of life.