Last week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry decided he was going to play doctor with little girls across the Lone Star State by unilaterally ordering that they receive the Gardasil vaccine when they enter sixth grade. Many Texans, of all political stripes, are outraged by this naked power grab designed to bypass the legislative process. Others question the message that a mandatory vaccine for an STD sends to these children.

But there is one other group opposing Perry's practice of medicine without a license -- physicians.

From, among others, the Texas Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, many doctors are saying it's too early to mandate the vaccine, which was approved for use last June. It protects against four strains of the human papillomavirus that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers.

"We support physicians being able to provide the vaccine, but we don't support a state mandate at this time," said Dr. Bill Hinchey, a San Antonio pathologist and president-elect of the TMA, which represents 41,000 physicians. "There are issues, such as liability and cost, that need to be vetted first."

Other reasons cited by doctors in Texas and across the country include the vaccine's newness; supply and distribution considerations; the possibility opposition could snowball and lead to a reduction in other immunizations; the possibility it could lull women into not going for still-necessary cervical cancer screenings; gender-equity issues; and the tradition of vaccines starting as voluntary and becoming mandatory after a need is demonstrated.

Hinchey said that TMA leadership expressed their concerns to Perry on Tuesday. He said the TMA arrived at its position after debating the issue in committees in recent days.

A perry spokesperson indicates that the governor is "listening" -- but actually means he is digging in his heels and ignoring all opposition to his end-run around the 181 members of the Texas legislature and every parent in the state.

Commercials for Gardasil counsel consumers to "talk to your doctor to see if Gardasil is right for you." It appears that physicians are giving an answer that is unambiguous -- mandatory vaccination with Gardasil is wrong for Texas.

Posted by: Greg at 11:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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