Why Mandate the HPV Vaccine?

Ever since they were approved and recommended, in 2007, more and more kids are getting vaccinated and protected with the HPV vaccines.

Without mandates, fewer kids are getting HPV vaccines.
Without mandates, fewer kids are getting HPV vaccines.

So why should they be added to the list of vaccines that are required to attend school?

Why Mandate the HPV Vaccine?

One common argument against mandating HPV vaccines is that HPV infections aren’t contagious.

That isn’t really true though.

HPV infections are contagious – through sexual contact.

And we know that about half of teens in high school are having sex…

But still, some argue that they aren’t contagious like measles and chickenpox…

So why mandate the HPV vaccine for students?

“Because HPV is easily transmitted through sexual contact, the vaccine’s full promise may only be realized through near-universal vaccination of girls and young women prior to sexual activity—a notion reflected in recently proposed federal guidelines. And history, as supported by a large body of scientific evidence, suggests that the most effective way to achieve universal vaccination is by requiring children to be inoculated prior to attending school.”

Achieving Universal Vaccination Against Cervical Cancer in the United States: The Need and the Means

Because mandates are the best way to get everyone vaccinated and protected.

“School immunization requirements serve 2 purposes: (1) to protect children from infectious diseases while in a setting with high rates of disease transmission and (2) to achieve higher immunization rates in society for better herd immunity and lower disease rates.”

Barraza et al on Human Papillomavirus and Mandatory Immunization Laws
What Can We Learn From Early Mandates?

And in the case of HPV vaccines, lower rates of HPV infections means less cancer.

“When we require vaccines for school, we get more children immunized. When we get more children immunized, we prevent diseases—including cancer. When we have a vaccine that works and is safe, we should be making sure that it is given to as many people as possible, and requiring a vaccine for school does just that.”

Claire McCarthy on Why Public Schools Should Require the HPV Vaccine

And that’s why we should mandate the HPV vaccine for school.

“Vaccinating as high a proportion of the population as possible is not simply a box to be checked by public health officials; it is a moral imperative, for several reasons. The most fundamental reason for promoting universal vaccination, as has been argued for other vaccines, is that it is in the best interest of the children receiving the vaccine.”

Michele Bayefsky on The Ethical Case for Mandating HPV Vaccination

Especially since, like other vaccines, the HPV vaccine is safe, with few risks.

Most importantly, understand that the misinformation and propaganda that scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids against HPV infections is not helping them make an informed choice.

More on HPV Vaccines

The Legislators Who Are Against Vaccines

Believe it or not, there really are legislators out there who are proposing bills that would weaken existing vaccine laws.

Does House Majority Leader Lee Qualm have any idea why we ever started to have school vaccination requirements?
Does House Majority Leader Lee Qualm have any idea why we ever started to have school vaccination requirements?

Bills that would put more kids at risk to get a vaccine preventable disease.

The Legislators Who Are Against Vaccines

Unfortunately, it isn’t just South Dakota…

Kelly Townsend says that no scientific evidence will convince her that vaccines are safe, because she believes that her own daughter is vaccine injured.
Kelly Townsend says that no scientific evidence will convince her that vaccines are safe, because she believes that her own daughter is vaccine injured.

Kelly Townsend is joined in Arizona by Nancy Barto, who proposed three vaccination bills in 2019 that would have weakened school immunization requirements.

Jamel Holley is an assemblyman in New Jersey…

Bobby Kennedy is very good at what he does - lobbying for anti-vaccine laws...
Bobby Kennedy is very good at what he does – lobbying for anti-vaccine laws…

Hopefully he was listening to someone else besides Robert F Kennedy, Jr for advice and education about vaccines.

Who taught Jonathan Stickland about vaccines? He is described as the “tea party bombast from North Texas.”

How can Jonathan Stickland be against a vaccine that hasn't been made yet?
How can Jonathan Stickland be against a vaccine that hasn’t been made yet?

I’m guessing he did his own “research.”

In addition to describing vaccines as sorcery, Jonathan Stickland claimed Big Pharma is funding witchcraft to make vaccines.

Jonathan Stickland has called vaccines witchcraft and sorcery.

What’s worse than describing vaccinology as sorcery?

“Shipley first called Pan “a medical rapist” before apologizing for the term and saying that “pharma fascist” or “corporate vaccine whore” would have been more appropriate terms.”

Iowa lawmaker stands by ‘pharma fascist’ description of supporter of vaccine requirements

Jeff Shipley, from Iowa, had to apologize for calling Richard Pan a medical rapist.

He wasn’t done though.

Jeff Shipley pushes fringe ideas about vaccines that can scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.

Of course, no vaccines are cultivated from aborted fetal tissues. It is fringe to think that they are, because it isn’t true.

“Especially in consideration of the fact that the cell lines currently used are very distant from the original abortions and no longer imply that bond of moral cooperation indispensable for an ethically negative evaluation of their use.”

Pontifical Academy for Life Clarifications on the medical and scientific nature of vaccination

Some vaccines are made with descendant cells from two electively terminated pregnancies (abortions) in the 1960s. Using descendant cells that have been copied over and over and over again is not the same thing as using fetal tissue though.

“The technical characteristics of the production of the vaccines most commonly used in childhood lead us to exclude that there is a morally relevant cooperation between those who use these vaccines today and the practice of voluntary abortion. Hence, we believe that all clinically recommended vaccinations can be used with a clear conscience and that the use of such vaccines does not signify some sort of cooperation with voluntary abortion.”

Pontifical Academy for Life Clarifications on the medical and scientific nature of vaccination

Can someone ask Jeff Shipley about “the moral obligation to guarantee the vaccination coverage necessary for the safety of others?”

Bill Zedler is another Texas Representative.

Bill Zedler yelled at a Texas pediatrician because Zedler doesn't understand how VAERS works...
Bill Zedler yelled at a Texas pediatrician because Zedler doesn’t understand how VAERS works…

He pushes classic talking points against vaccines that are easily refuted, which is likely why he was compelled to yell at a pediatrician who was advocating for vaccines.

Louisiana has John Milkovich.

John Milkovich is still pushing the idea that vaccines are associated with autism.
John Milkovich is still pushing the idea that vaccines are associated with autism.

Dennis Guth is in Iowa.

Dennis Guth

He has been in touch with the NVIC and has introduced a vaccine bill that would make it easier for parents to send intentionally unvaccinated kids to school.

Jack Hennessy is in Connecticut.

“The whole idea of injecting a witches brew of chemicals that may work in a laboratory when it comes into the body there is no telling what happens.”

Rep. Jack Hennessy

He represents Bridgeport.

And then there is Dennis Linthicum, who actually pushes the benefits of natural immunity and tells parents that they shouldn’t vaccinate and protect their kids?

Dennis Linthicum actually tells parents that they shouldn't vaccinate and protect their kids.
You have to earn that lifetime protection!

The Oregon State Senator needs some education about the complications of measles, which can include death and SSPE.

Fortunately, most legislators understand that vaccines are safe, with few risks, and are very necessary.

But have you noticed something that these politicians have in common?

They are all pushing misinformation about vaccines that has been refuted a thousand times already.

Are they representing what you want for your kids?

More On Legislators Who Are Against Vaccines

Advocates Rallying for Vaccines

Have you ever been to a vaccine rally?

Vaccine advocates at a support rally in Minnesota.
Vaccine advocates at a support rally in Minnesota.

Why would you…

Advocates Rallying for Vaccines

Well, as some folks have gotten to protesting against vaccines, it is becoming important that the rest of us show our support for vaccines, something that many of us have long taken for granted.

Protesting against vaccines is now a thing.
Protesting against vaccines is now a thing.

If we don’t, the very vocal minority who are against vaccines are going to use their voice to influence legislators to weaken vaccine laws and put all of our kids at risk.

Vaccine advocates in Texas.
Vaccine advocates in Texas.

More of us need to speak up and advocate for vaccines.

Vaccine advocates speaking up in support of a vaccine bill in California.
Vaccine advocates speaking up in support of a vaccine bill in California.

After all, the great majority of us vaccinate our kids and get ourselves vaccinated and protected.

Strong vaccine laws protect kids in Maine.

And we are starting to make sure everyone knows that they want strong vaccine laws that protect their kids.

Vaccine advocates making sure their voice is heard at the Capital in California.
Vaccine advocates making sure their voice is heard at the Capital in California.

Especially our legislators who can pass laws that will keep our kids safe from vaccine preventable diseases.

Advocates at the March for Science reminded folks about the importance of vaccines.
Advocates at the March for Science reminded folks about the importance of vaccines.

Vaccine preventable diseases that will come back if more and more parents don’t vaccinate their kids, which becomes easier if vaccine laws are weakened.

We choose to send our kids to schools free of vaccine-preventable diseases.
We choose to send our kids to schools free of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Vaccines are safe, with few risks.

Vaccines are necessary to protect our kids.

Vaccines are necessary to protect our kids.

Got Smallpox?

Are you ready to pick up a sign?

This kid should also thank his parents for making sure he was vaccinated and protected!
This kid should also thank his parents for making sure he was vaccinated and protected!

Or are you at least ready to call your legislators?

Don’t let those who don’t support vaccines put your kids at risk.

Don’t let them put my kids at risk.

More on Vaccine Advocates

On the Origins of Herd Immunity

When did we start talking about herd immunity?

“Though coined almost a century ago[8], the term “herd immunity” was not widely used until recent decades, its use stimulated by the increasing use of vaccines, discussions of disease eradication, and analyses of the costs and benefits of vaccination programs.”

Fine et al on “Herd Immunity”: A Rough Guide

Paul Fine’s “almost a century ago reference” was by William Whiteman Carlton Topley and Sir Graham Selby Wilson, The Spread of Bacterial Infection. The Problem of Herd-Immunity, published in 1923.

It has long been thought that Topley and Wilson first used the term herd immunity back in 1923.

An article in Lancet, Some Fundamental Factors Concerned in the Spread of Infectious Disease, published in 1924 does give Topley and Wilson credit for coming up with the term.

On the Origins of Herd Immunity

That wasn’t when the term herd immunity was first used though.

There are earlier references.

There is a reference to herd immunity in the Oregon Agricultural College Experiment Station Director’s Report 1918-1920.

An article about natural herd immunity was published in 1921.
They are talking about brucellosis, which is now a vaccine-preventable disease in cattle.

The report, published in 1921, was talking about natural herd immunity.

In an even earlier report of the New York State Veterinary College at Cornell University for the year 1916 to 1917, R.R. Birch used the term when talking about vaccinating pigs against cholera.

This report about herd immunity and vaccines was published in 1918.

His report, Garbage Feeding, and the Care of Garbage Fed Swine, was published in 1918.

“If properly carried out, a large proportion of each infected herd should be saved and become exceptionally valuable on account of the immunity which would be established.”

Melvin et al on The Control of Hog Cholera, With a Discussion of the Results of Field Experiments

A 1917 book, Contagious Abortion of Cattle, also talked about natural herd immunity.

“Thus a herd immunity seems to have developed as the result both of keeping the aborting cows and raising the calves. Therefore it seems safest for a herd owner to raise his own calves and avoid bringing in new infection.”

Adolph Eichhorn and George M. Potter on the Contagious Abortion of Cattle

Are there any earlier uses of the term herd immunity?

Just a year earlier, Adolph Eichhorn and George M. Potter used the term during a presentation at a meeting of the American Veterinary Medical Association in Detroit, Michigan.

“A definite herd immunity seems to have been established. This has an important bearing upon control measures, and is the principle underlying one of our recommendations which will be referred to later. Moreover, the work of the English commission has shown that a serviceable degree of immunity can be induced by the injection of living organisms several weeks before breeding.”

Eichhorn and Potter on The Present Status of the Abortion Question

Still, it is said that Wilson originally got the idea for herd immunity from Major Greenwood, the foremost medical statistician in the UK.

Is this the English Commission that Eichhorn and Potter were talking about?

“Wilson later recalled that he had first heard the phrase “herd immunity” in the course of a conversation with Major Greenwood…”

Paul Fine on Herd Immunity: History, Theory, Practice

When would they have had that conversation?

They were both Fellows of the Royal Society and after World War I, were working quite near each other in London. Major Greenwood was at the Lister Institute and Wilson at Charing Cross Hospital medical school.

It is also possible that Greenwood, Wilson, and Topley could have talked during WWI. Greenwood and Wilson served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and Topley in the British Sanitary Commission. Before the war, both Greenwood and Topley had started working in London around 1910, and may have talked about herd immunity then.

Whoever first coined the term, it is clear that many of the first reports about herd immunity were about vaccine induced herd immunity. And that those that discussed natural herd immunity stressed that it could only work in a closed system.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in a closed system, which is why natural immunity doesn’t really work. As new babies are born without immunity and their maternal immunity wears off and people visit from outside the community who may reintroduce disease, you will get outbreaks. At least you will unless everyone is vaccinated and protected and until you eradicate the disease.

More on Herd Immunity