Parents Poised to Oppose HPV Immunization
Washington Informer, News Feature, Carlton R. Van Lowe, Posted: Mar 19, 2007
Editor's Note:Proposed mandatory vaccinations for girls in the sixth grade is not playing well among some parents in Washington, D.C. Concerns about the safety of the newly approved drug to prevent infection of the HPV virus, which is sexually transmitted, is fueling a debate which will likely go national.
The Parents and Citizens Committee to Stop Medical Experimentation in D.C. are protesting the D.C. Council’s pending Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (HPV) and Reporting Act of 2007, calling for more research before girls are required by law to take the vaccine. They held a rally last week outside the District Building in Northwest.
The bill would make it mandatory for girls entering the sixth grade to receive a vaccination for the HPV virus a sexually transmitted disease which causes cervical cancer in women.
Those protesting included parents, health professionals and other concerned citizens wanting to stop the mandatory vaccine in grade school because they believe the vaccine is under-tested and has adverse health risks.
"We are concerned about this HPV drug because there are so many indisputable facts about whether it is effective or safe," said Vanessa Dixon the organizer of the rally and head of the parents group protesting.
"The D.C. city council needs to back off the HPV legislation, and back off of our girls with this under-tested, unsafe drug," continued Dixon.
Barbara Loe Fischer, president of the National Vaccine Information Center went on to describe the story of a young girl who was injected with the vaccine and reported pain at the injection site. The girl lost consciousness, fell off of the examining table, regained consciousness and experienced twitching in her hands and feet, Fischer said. The girl also suffered a headache and blurry vision. She vomited in the parking lot, lost her speech, and was sent to the emergency room where she continued to exhibit difficulty speaking upon neurological examination.
"We have to remember Merck (the manufacturer of the vaccine) is not in the science of healthcare,” Fischer said. “Merck is in the business of selling drugs. So, whether it’s good or not is irrelevant for them. Whether it’s good for their bottom line, I believe is what is relevant."
Kea Taylor, a mother of three, said she thinks administering the vaccine is very dangerous because there is proof that the drug can have negative side effects. "The drug just has not been tested enough to make it mandatory for our young girls," she said.
Despite the protest and lobbying by the parents group Thursday, a council committee passed the bill out of committee, sending it on the council to vote on it soon. If the council passes the bill and the mayor approves it, the bill will go to congress for final approval.
Dr. Tilli Williams, a parent and protester of the vaccine, said she was appalled that the legislation was approved by the council’s health committee.
"I wish I could have heard the conversation,” Williams said. “We have a lot of work to do to educate the people as well as the public. We will do whatever we need to do to make sure there is parental input."
Faye Williams, a spokesperson for the parents’ group, said she was not surprised about the committee approving the bill. She said the group will continue to fight the effort to make the vaccine mandatory in DCPS.
"The next step is the hearings,” she said. “We will lobby the council and hope that they will listen to us better then they have."
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