Texas governor orders STD vaccine for all girls - Kids & Parenting - MSNBC.comThere's the part of me that's going "Yes! Another disease down the tubes eventually!" From a public health standpoint, I'm all for it.AUSTIN, Texas - Bypassing the Legislature altogether, Republican Gov. Rick Perry issued an order Friday making Texas the first state to require that schoolgirls get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.
The other part of me, not so much. Oh, I'm not worried that the young ladies will suddenly go out fornicating like wild rabbits after they get their shots - I don't really like the way that the Legislature was bypassed. That strikes me as a bit too autocratic... and (of course) there's the idea that if THIS usage is okay, then what about other 'good ideas' that wouldn't pass a legislative smell test, much less a public vote?
We'll see how this pans out - but overall... I'm thinking he's done the right thing, though perhaps not the right way.
J.
Comments (1)
Polio.
Smallpox.
Measles.
German measles.
They were all mandatory in NY State immunization when I was growing up. You would get more mercury from eating a single fish caught in Lake Erie than from *all* the vaccinations you would get in a lifetime.
You can get a shot to give you lifetime immunity to a large swath of bacterial pneumonia. That is voluntary. You want to die of bacterial pneumonia it covers? Your choice. At least *that* is hard to pass on.
Unless this vaccine *only* works when given in childhood, then let parents decide. Adults can decide on this. This is a voluntary transmission vector, unlike Polio, Measles, Smallpox... A child who reaches 'age of consent' is an adult in this area as the society of the States dictate that. At that age a parent should have no say... if you can't teach your child to control themselves, then getting a vaccine against something they *might* catch by such behavior is a band-aid on the problem. At that point the problem is not your child, it is *you*. And, yes, the foster care system sucks more than an Electrolux, and because States are so awful at overseeing children those in the care of the State should get such vaccines *because* our society is unwilling to properly look after 'wards of the State'.
For the mass-communicable, easy to spread diseases that can wipe out a life or cripple for life, then immunization should not be an *option*. Children deserve to get the best protection against those so that they can grow up and make decisions on their own.
I am all for basic, defensive protection so that children can grow up to be adults and that society may be protected against the spread of highly infectious diseases that remove life and liberty from individuals. Is it so difficult to teach a child to 'keep your hands to yourself'? That, at least, is relatively safe and non-toxic.... Once your child reaches the age of consent you either talk turkey or become a turkey.
Posted by ajacksonian | February 7, 2007 7:23 AM
Posted on February 7, 2007 07:23