Merck and Co. has dropped its controversial campaign to lobby for mandatory vaccinations against human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection that can cause cervical cancer.
Merck's effort to educate state lawmakers about the vaccine, marketed as Gardasil, first came to light in January. Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued an executive order mandating vaccinations of all 11- and 12-year-old girls.
Kelly Shackelford, president of the Freemarket Foundation of Texas, said Perry's order angered parents who responded with thousands of angry calls, e-mails and faxes over the issue -- a fact that had to have influenced Merck, if only indirectly.
Perry's order "was a pretty heavy-handed action with no debate, and parents reacted with a firestorm." he said. "This has been in all the newspapers every day for three weeks. It's rare any issue gets coverage like that. And it's not slowing down."
"We're concerned that our role in supporting school requirements is a distraction from (the) goal (of educating women about HPV), and as such have suspended our lobbying efforts," Merck's Medical Director for Vaccines Dr. Richard Haupt told The Associated Press.
Linda Klepacki, analyst for sexual health for Focus on the Family Action, said those comments reveal that grassroots pressure prompted the pharmaceutical giant to make the move.
"There has been a backlash from the grassroots," she said. "Basically they said, 'We do not want this mandated. We want the choice. Parents need to retain the right to make medical decisions for their children.' "
Klepacki made clear that Focus on the Family is not opposed to the vaccine.
"This is an excellent vaccine. It has the potential of saving millions of women's lives around the world," she said. "But we ultimately support parental rights to make decisions for their minor children."
Physicians' groups have questioned the scientific validity of requiring the three-dose vaccine.
"(Backing off) is the right thing for Merck to do now," said Ladon W. Homer, M.D., president of the Texas Medical Association. "This is a medical issue, and should be considered in the medical community and handled as such."
Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., the top congressional critic of mandatory vaccination, said members of the House Values Action Team have been working hard to stop Merck's nationwide effort.
"Because of our pushback, Merck kind of got the idea that they had way-overstepped their bounds," Gingrey said.
He introduced the Parental Right to Decide Protection Act to stop federal funds from being used in any mandatory program.
More than 20 states are considering bills on HPV vaccination, though many would make it voluntary or allow parents to "opt-in" their children.
Gingrey, who practiced medicine as a pro-life OB-GYN for 26 years before he was elected to Congress, said he's not opposed to the vaccine -- just government requiring it.
"I think that the vaccine could very well be beneficial to women who are sexually active," he said. "But I don't think HPV vaccinations should be mandatory like they are for childhood diseases like whooping cough, mumps and measles and chicken pox -- things that are very contagious with just casual contact."
(Paid for by Focus on the Family Action)
