Executive Orders for Vaccination

The right action for the wrong reasons (0.00 / 0)

Or as the saying goes, even a broken clock has the right time twice a day.

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."- James A. Baldwin

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by: Timothy @ Sat Feb 03, 2007 at 23:34:59 PM CST

In Perry's case (0.00 / 0)

You may need to talk about a broken calendar. Check back for what he does right next year, because he's used up his quota for 2007.

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by: George @ Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 07:58:20 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Good point (0.00 / 0)

Yes, a broken calender would be a better analogy.

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."- James A. Baldwin

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by: Timothy @ Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 15:39:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It just comes down to trust.... (0.00 / 0)

So you have to trust Merck that bad things won't happen in ten years to the girls or their offspring...and you have to trust Gov., to do the right thing for the right reasons...NOT!  When was the last time you really trusted either?  Just call me Lacking Trust...

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by: krwheaton @ Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 12:16:07 PM CST

[ Parent ]

For Once Texas Stays Ahead of Third World Countries (0.00 / 0)

I have to confess to a moment of shock when I heard that Perry had signed this order.  And my first thought was, "Hmmm. What's in it for him?".

I fully expected the issue to languish in the Lege amidst arguments about about "encouraging teenage sexual behavior" and other such rubbish.

What is missed in these discussions is that HPV is epidemic in Texas, including right here in river city at UT.  There are several strains of HPV but the two most common afflictions associated with HPV are genital warts and, in women, cervical cancers.  Anything that helps rid us of either of these two things is much overdue.

Even if Guv Goodhair is responsible for the good deed.

To answer your question about this underfunded mandate:
In third world countries, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been funding HPV immunization programs.
In the US, Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program aka CHIP funds immunization programs for children, so the HPV immunization would probably be covered under CHIP or Medicaid.  Assuming the Lege gets their head out of their ass and extends coverage to the children that they removed from the CHIP rolls in the last session, which is a big assumption at this point.

And a minor note, even though the term "vaccination" is used interchangeably with "immunization", vaccination is actually a term for the old smallpox vaccine.  Immunization is the correct term.

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by: ZenX @ Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 07:42:56 AM CST

another minor note (0.00 / 0)

HPV is epidemic worldwide. In the U.S. at any given time 15% of the population is inffected and 50% of the population is inffected at some point in their lives.

Prisoner of hope.

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by: comeon @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 07:28:09 AM CST

[ Parent ]

The Red Tide Begins to Turn (0.00 / 0)

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the Republicans are balking at Perry's order. 

The general argument is summed up nicely in Burka's Texas Monthly column "Sock It Toomey" (http://www.texasmont...).

Here in a nutshell, are the arguments:
1. "A lobbyist is behind it" - excuse me for being naive, but is there any piece of legislation cranked out of the Lege that doesn't have a lobbyist (or donor) behind it?
2.  "It costs too much" - OK- I'm giving you a choice, you pay me $300 or you get cervical cancer and genital warts.  Seems like a deal to me?
3.  "The immunization could be dangerous!" - Cervical cancer isn't dangerous?
4.  "It will encourage teenagers to have sex" - You've obviously forgotten what it was like to be a teenager.  Did YOU need encouragement?
5.  "Treads on Legislative turf" - now that one reminds me of a barefoot walk through a cow pasture.  You got me there.

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by: ZenX @ Wed Feb 07, 2007 at 07:51:45 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I tend to believe he did this with an eye on 2008. (0.00 / 0)

If Perry is to be more attractive to a main stream general voting population as VP, he has to appear moderate. The right wing nut jobs will hem and haw about encouraging teens to have sex but at the end of the day the Republicans don't have to listen to them. They just have to promise them the moon. The wing-nuts have no choice but to vote Republican.

It doesn't hurt that his former COS is one of Merck's lobbyist.

In regard to the cost of the vaccine, let's not get distracted by the initial cost analysis. It is a typical Republican tactic to be penny wise and a pound foolish. We can always negotiate a lower price for the vaccine. Most importantly, what is cheaper: a vaccine or a fight with cancer? The real fight in the legislature is to make sure the local government are left holding the bill.

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by: M. Eddie Rodriguez @ Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 10:47:19 AM CST

The real fight with this Republican idea (0.00 / 0)

like so many others, is will he really put his money where his mouth is? Hopefully, he lead the legislature to provide additional funds to CHIPS, Medicaid and county health organizations. I also hope he has the forsight of adding this to public university funds.

In Lubbock I would bet that Texas Tech has 10,000 women who would fall in the parameters for the vaccination. That $3.6 million does not need to be stripped from university funding which is already obscenely low.

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by: LubbockDem @ Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 18:21:59 PM CST

[ Parent ]

the local issue (0.00 / 0)

That is the problem I forsee. Underfunded county/city level health departments will not be able to provide this vaccine.

For example in Denton County, the Commissioner's Court is bent on cutting health services every year the budget comes up. Some services will be cut out completely within the next 5 years. One of those happens to be a senior volunteer program that helps promote immunizations among new mothers.

So it would seem contradictory to me that programs like the HPV vaccine be required, while at the same time county governments continue to cut funding for their health and social services. The Legislature is going to have to find the money for this program, but somehow I don't see them getting it done any time soon.

www.stonewalldemocratsofdentoncounty.org

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by: John McClelland @ Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 20:17:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Perhaps MTV and Bill Gates can collaborate... (0.00 / 0)

on raising the money for this?

You guys know by know that I've been no fan of Perry since I turned on him a couple of years ago, upon recognizing his ineffectiveness outside his ability to look good for the camera. I think this move by him is nothing but political grandstanding. He'll do anything for votes, even if it involves bucking the conservatives straight across the board. The pundits know good and well that when it comes to post-election time he'll position himself as a moderate, when his own party frowns upon that.

At any rate, I can't wait until he is no longer governor. And I'll give this one to you guys- let's put a realistic one like Sharp in there. Someone draft him to run in '10. He'll be my first Democratic vote- and I'll even join you guys in campaigning for Sharp.

www.completethewar.com

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by: sfagrad02 @ Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 22:00:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Do we really know? (0.00 / 0)

So who has the data to verify that this is a good thing?  Do we know the long term effects? 

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by: Hugh Stearns @ Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 18:56:16 PM CST

Adverse reactions (0.00 / 0)

I found this on DallasBlog.com today:

Merck's Gardasil vaccine already has been under fire nationally from the National Vaccine Information Center(NVIC) which claims that "Merck's clinical trials did not prove the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts is safe to give to young girls."  NVIC cites the trial studies as showing there were serious problems with adverse reaction to the shots:  "Nearly 90% pf Gardasil recipients...followed-up for safety reported one or more adverse events within 15 days of vaccination, particularly at the injection site.  Pain and swelling at injection occurred in approximately 83 percent of Gardasil" recipients.  A majority of the young women who received Gardasil complained about "serious adverse events such as headache, gastroenteritis, appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, asthma, bronchospasm and arthritis", according to NVIC.

www.stonewalldemocratsofdentoncounty.org

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by: John McClelland @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 13:06:09 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Link (0.00 / 0)

Sorry missed the link. Here it is.

http://www.dallasblo...

The comments are interesting as well. Keep in mind Dallas Blog is right wing.

www.stonewalldemocratsofdentoncounty.org

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by: John McClelland @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 13:09:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

And keep in mind that NVIC (5.00 / 1)

is not exactly an unbiased group.
Their website makes some bizarre links between MMR immunizations and arthritis, carpel tunnel syndrome and many other things that I don't think 50  years of use has proven.

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by: LubbockDem @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 14:15:22 PM CST

[ Parent ]

That's what you are going to get from the right wingers (5.00 / 1)

Distorted information to get a win on this. It's the swift-boating of the HPV vaccine, plain and simple. If you dig into their "facts", you'll find they are lying by telling half-truths.

It's really pathetic and if they could get this executive order reversed, it means unequal access to a life saving vaccine for females. Poor kids and families without health insurance would have NO CHOICE as to whether their daughters could get the vaccine.

Their tactics sicken me.

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by: muse @ Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 22:46:26 PM CST

[ Parent ]

On that female blogger issue (0.00 / 0)

when are you guys going to get on that?

Prisoner of hope.

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by: comeon @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 07:32:11 AM CST

We're open... (0.00 / 0)

to anyone...

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 10:00:32 AM CST

[ Parent ]

As stated (0.00 / 0)

Any interested writers, please contact me with writing samples at Matt@BurntOrangeReport.com.

Or write a journal and if it is highly recommended or well written, we will front page it.

Last time we made the offer, only one person wrote us back. This is a standing offer...

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by: Matt Glazer @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 11:15:43 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Hypocrite (5.00 / 1)

I have a couple of problems with the order.

First, he overrode the legislature completely.  Now granted it sped up the process, but there was no consultation, no debate, no discussion on cost to Texas taxpayers, none of that.  All those things would have come out had it gone through the legislative branch of Texas government.  I have great concerns over how we are going to pay for this and if that bottled water tax, which was originally part of Perry's education package last year, will be revisited in order to do so. 

Second, he is a hypocrite.  The decision is completely counter to what he and his Party stands for.  Now ultimately maybe he had a come to Jesus moment and decided this was just plain the right thing to do, and if so, then great.  But if that is the case you need to take the next step and allow schools to teach more then just abstinence in public schools.  We need to provide children all information related to sex education, and the consequences too.  This decision is an indictment on the Republican Party's knucklehead approach to sex education.  Fix it!

TMH 

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

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by: Todd Hill @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 08:52:57 AM CST

And what exactly does Perry's Party stand for anymore?.... (0.00 / 0)

Supporting border security before they oppose it? Supporting local control of schools before they oppose it? Opposing unfunded mandates before they oppose it?

Then again, politics no longer makes sense to me. It's a wonder that major party candidates no longer read their party's platform during the conventions. It's as significant to them as a 20-page warranty for a Wal-Mart-bought computer monitor.

www.completethewar.com

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by: sfagrad02 @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 09:28:00 AM CST

[ Parent ]

His come to Jesus moment (0.00 / 0)

was with Merck pharmaceuticals, not his conscience.

I'm sure there was a checkbook involved.

Prisoner of hope.

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by: comeon @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 10:44:32 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Either that.... (0.00 / 0)

or it could be an insider deal to come up with a vaccination for erectile dysfunction, should that disorder ever cross his bedroom....LOL

www.completethewar.com

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by: sfagrad02 @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 11:26:25 AM CST

[ Parent ]

ED (0.00 / 0)

Bob Dole would be here in a heartbeat for that!

www.stonewalldemocratsofdentoncounty.org

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by: John McClelland @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 12:37:07 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Let's just hope they don't trade his signature right-hand pen... (0.00 / 0)

for a needle, then turn him on the loose....

www.completethewar.com

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by: sfagrad02 @ Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 13:44:58 PM CST

[ Parent ]