02 March 2007

Call me when there’s a mandatory morphine shot

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said Thursday he would sign legislation requiring all
sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that
can cause cervical cancer.
The Virginian Pilot


Tim’s not alone; Texas governor Rick Perry, courted by pharmaceutical producer Merck, approved similar legislature. Appeals may follow and a disapproving uproar is spreading. Mandatory HPV vaccinations may be coming to a 12 year-old girl near you.

Mandatory is the problem. The government has its hands on young girls’s bodies, and that doesn’t sit well with parents, especially when were talking about sex. Remember Salt-N-Pepa’s tune? Well, 17 years later we’re still bashful about sexual intercourse. The simplest solution is a choice; the difficulty of that solution is who makes the choice? “Responsible” parents who won’t admit their princess is sexually active or irresponsible folks who don’t give a damn? Perhaps a consent age limit should be set: at 16 it’s up to the girls. And it’s best kept a secret, because confidentiality reassures girls and girls’s parents. Voluntary participation paired with a nominal fee will keep costs down, and free service should be offered if needed.

We may be talking about a preventative cure for cancer here, but don’t forget the chemicals involved. Parents object to new drugs fresh from the vat. And don’t discount the deal making. It’s a potential goldmine for Merck, for, to paraphrase economist Adam Smith, the butcher and baker aren’t exactly philanthropists, and drug companies don’t do charity either. Perhaps if trustworthy politicians weren’t backing HPV, the vaccine would seem a breakthrough, not a burden.

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