Thursday, April 26, 2007

It was nice while it lasted....

Texas Legislators Block Shots for Girls Against Cancer Virus

So much for Texas being a progressive state...

Granted, I'm no fan of the executive order, but the hair's heart (and who knew he had one??) was in the right place.

But the people they spoke to for this article just KILL me!! (It's like those toothless diner folks CNN digs out for the New Hampshire primary interviews... Lived in the state for 19 years and SWEAR TO GOD, I never met any toothless diner folks!!)

“There was no public testimony — why we were jumping so fast into a vaccine that was not for a true communicable disease,” said Senator Glenn Hegar Jr., a Republican representing a district just west of Houston who sponsored the Senate bill to overturn the governor’s order. It passed 30 to 1 on Monday.


Okay, Glenn Hegar Jr. obviously does not KNOW what a communicable disease actually is. Let me offer up this advice ~ communicable diseases are any infectious diseases that can be transmitted from one individual to another either directly by contact or indirectly by fomites and vectors. An infectious disease is any disease caused by invasion by a viral, parasitic, bacterial or fungal pathogen which subsequently grows and multiplies in the body. Not all infectious diseases are communicable, but sexually transmitted ones are. Get a frickin' dictionary, Senator!! ('cause I'm leaving it up to you to find out what a fomite is!)

“We did not want to be the first in offering young girls for the experiment to see if this vaccine is effective or not,” said Representative Dennis H. Bonnen, a Republican from Angleton, who sponsored the ban in the House.


Dennis H. Bonnen is obviously not familiar with the clinical trial and review process required by the FDA. 'nough said.

So, they've banned any requirement of HPV vaccination until 2011. Over kill? Just a wee bit.

But as pointed out by the solitary voice of reason, Senator Leticia van de Putte of San Antonio, the vaccine is expected to prevent 400 deaths a year among young women in Texas.

I guess those 1200 women will just have to live (or not, as the case may be) with the need for the Texas Legislature to maintain control.

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