CM ST: September 2007

source: www.mikhaela.net

source: www.corpwatch.org

Recently there has been a debate going on about the HPV vaccine. The federal government had announced funding for vaccinating young girls against HPV with the start of the new school year this fall. Though not all the provinces and territories decided to implement the new program in their schools. Even in Ontario, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland, where they decided to go ahead with the federally funded program, some parents are having doubts about the risks associated with the vaccine.

Some of the parents who are willing to have their young daughters vaccinated have in the past lost a relative to cervical cancer. Due to this strong emotional urge they want to save at least the younger female generation from the risk of getting infected by HPV. This program is being administered to girls mostly in a single grade depending upon the province. In Nova Scotia it is being given to Grade 7 girls and in Ontario to Grade 8 girls. So another reason for parents to agree to the vaccine is financial. This program is currently being funded by the federal government which means that all the girls in the respective grades in their province will get the vaccine without parents having to pay from their own pocket for it. This is a great factor in the parents’ decision as normally it would cost around $400 for the three required doses. If they decide against it now and then plan it for later, in any case they would be paying for it themselves.Although the HPV vaccine is being touted by most doctors and health professionals as providing immunity against this STD, a lot of researchers are of the opinion that it is too early for this new vaccine to be administered to young girls. The reason for this is that it has not been on the shelves for a considerable amount of time and so any adverse side effects or other health risks associated with it are not yet known.

There has also been some talk about the company that manufacturers the vaccine about the profits it would gain from this program. Merck and Co. has been in the run to put this vaccine on the shelves ahead of its competitors in order to gain profits before the other companies hit the market with their brand of HPV vaccine.

Concern about HPV Vaccine in USA