Will Gardasil Become A Mandatory Vaccination?

For those that don't know, here's a little background: Gardasil is the recently-approved, 3-part vaccine for Human Papillomavirus (HPV). As you may know, HPV is the virus that causes genital warts, is linked to cervical cancer, and is the most common STI in the United States at present time. There are over 100 different strains of HPV, but not all have ties to cervical cancer. In fact, most infections are temporary and asymptomatic. As far as Gardasil is concerned, it deals with 4 common strains: #16 and #18, which account for about 70% of all cervical cancers, and #6 and #11, which account for approximately 90% of genital warts. It's recommended by the FDA as a vaccination for females ages 9-26.

It's a bit early to tell what the likelihood is for it to become mandatory. Merck would obviously love this since they have lost a substantial amount of money with Vioxx having troubles and other problems the company has recently endured. I understand that and don't have a problem with it as long as they're truthful and nobody is harmed or exploited. Perhaps that's unrealistic. They're a company and companies exist, largely, to make money.

The one thing I do have a problem with is that they are marketing Gardasil as a vaccine against cancer, not a vaccine against a virus. Why? Because marketing it as a cancer vaccine seems miraculous! Merck stops cancer itself! Cancer is terrible and you don't want cancer, right? Then the vaccine is for you! The trouble is, Merck, there's a difference between vaccinating against the common types of HPV that can lead to cervical cancer and preventing cervical cancer. This vaccination does the former, not the latter. With that said, should Gardasil be a mandatory vaccination? Mandatory? That's hard to say. Here is the recommendation for those women that do not receive the vaccine: get pap smears on a regular basis. Here is the recommendation for those that do receive the vaccination: get pap smears on a regular basis. It's the failure to screen for cervical cancer that's attributable to the large majority of invasive cervical cancers. So, ultimately, the vaccine does not relieve any responsibility a woman has to be frequently screened for cervical abnormalities. It simply says, “Just in case these 4 potentially dangerous things happen to you, you will be protected from them, but you won't be invincible.” If anything, if you truly want to protect women from dangers, regular pap smears are what should be mandatory. The vaccine is just a safety net. Nothing more.

There are a couple of concepts in your question that I want to make clear before I wrap this up. First, with any vaccine or medicine, there is a risk. That's just a fact. It's true that there have been no long-term studies done with Gardasil, but that's the situation with any new product. The flu shot, MMR vaccination, and even aspirin have risks. Secondly, when a female receives a vaccination and the physician explains to all involved, “This does not protect against all STIs, only protects you from the majority of the types of HPV, and condom use and pap smears are still something you should do as frequently as if you never had this vaccination,” it does not lead to an increase in sexual activity. That assumption is as erroneous as the belief that sex education or condom availability gives adolescents the green light to become immediately sexually active. Sexuality isn't something children get for their 18th birthday. All you can do is give them the facts, tell them how you feel, and it will unfold how it will unfold.