I just wrote (http://spectator.org/archives/2011/09/12/rick-perry-on-science) about how Rick Perry’s position on vaccines was science-based. Sadly, tonight Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann (followed by Congressman Ron Paul and former Senator Rick Santorum) tore into Rick Perry about his executive order mandating that girls entering the 6th grade receive a vaccine to prevent against human papilloma virus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer as well as mouth cancer, tongue cancer and other cancers of the vagina, penis and anus.
Yes, HPV is a sexually transmittable disease and the transmission rates for these illnesses have been climbing rapidly. So too have both the prevalence and incidence of these cancers among young adults. Which means they are contracting them at around age 12.
Bachmann, Santorum and Ron Paul accused Perry of ordering mandatory immunizations in exchange for a $5000 campaign contribution from a former lobbyist for Merck, the developer of one version of the HPV vaccine called Gardasil. IN particular, Bachmann alleged that Perry’s decision exposed “little girls” to a dangerous drug. In doing so, Bachmann – and - by extension Santorum and Paul – gave credence to the canard pushed by the anti-vaccine movement that Merck conspired to market a product that was causing girls to go blind, become paralyzed and die.
First, the science and statistics:
- The most prominent argument against the HPV vaccine Gardasil is that it has been linked to 53 deaths (as of June 2009). These reports were made to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Of these, 30 reported deaths were confirmed to have occurred, but no causal link to the vaccine was found after investigation. Based on the evidence available, therefore, it does not appear that the vaccine causes death. More recent evidence demonstrates the same result.
- A post-market surveillance study by the CDC found that the rate of reported deaths (including anaphylaxis) was 0.1 per 100,000 doses distributed. Their conclusion was that reported adverse events did not differ significantly from vaccines in general.
- Further arguments against Gardasil mention fainting after immunization. This is a known possible side effect of some vaccines and is included in the package insert. The insert also includes recommendations to observe the patient for at least 15 minutes after injection to ensure the patient does not fall or suffer injury.
Then there is the claim – promoted by an anti-vaccine group claiming that Gardasil contains recombinant HPV DNA that can replicate on it’s own and go haywire on the bodies of young girls. SANE Vax Inc. Announces the Discovery of Viral HPV DNA Contaminant in Gardasil. As Respectful Insolence blog points out:
This is utter nonsense. First off…it's not a trivial matter to get recombinant DNA into human cells and expressing the protein that its sequence codes for. It's worth repeating what I described when I first encountered this idiocy in a different context. For rDNA to do what Dr. Lee worries about, the minute amount of rDNA in the HPV vaccine would have to:
- Find its way into human cells in significant quantities, which is highly unlikely given the tiny amount that, even in the worst case, is there.
- Express the protein that it codes for, which would require that the DNA be intact, complete with its promoter and regulatory regions. Again, this is incredibly unlikely, given the amount of DNA we're talking about unlikely.
Finally, there is the objection to the vaccination based on the assertion that it promotes sexual activity among pre-teens. But let’s assume – and hope – that one day a vaccine that prevents HIV is developed. Would Congresswoman Bachmann also object to requiring immunization in that case because it would similarly encourage boys and girls to engage in sexual activity?
Meanwhile Congressman Paul has indulged in the vaccine-autism conspiracy. Congressman Paul, along with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) introduce the "Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Population Act of 2006," or H.R. 2832. The bill would have required the National Institutes of Health to complete a study to examine the link between autism and thimerasol. The bill has never gone anywhere though it did prove that anti-vaccine stupidity is bipartisan.
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=22711
Bachmann, Paul and Santorum (to a lesser extent) are spreading vaccine panic with unscientific and untruthful allegations about Gardasil and Merck. The willingness to foment fear in order to score some political points in the short term is depressing by itself. I don’t know what’s more demoralizing: that the fear mongering comes at a time when vaccination rates are dropping because parents believe the same things the candidates espouse or that the media is once again failing to do it’s job and let people know that all vaccines are highly safe and effective. But I guess that would get in the way of focusing on the catfight between Governor Perry and three politicians who have undermined the public health with misinformed and politically motivated assaults on an important tool in preventing cancer.
