Hello everybody.

HPV Vaccine Ready For Release
by DarkSyde
from dailykos.com
Sat May 20, 2006 at 07:04:21 AM PDT

A new vaccine which may be 100% effective in preventing common forms of
cervical and other types of cancer is ready for approval:

    Reuters--Food and Drug Administration staff said they would ask an
advisory panel that meets on Thursday to discuss the safety and
effectiveness of Gardasil as well as findings that some women and girls who
were infected with HPV before they got the vaccine had a higher rate of
cervical lesions. Gardasil has shown 100 percent efficacy in preventing the
sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, which causes 70 percent of
cervical cancer cases, according to Merck. This type of cancer kills nearly
4,000 women in the U.S. annually and nearly 300,000 worldwide, according to
the National Cervical Cancer Coalition.


Merck also quietly kicked off a PR and promotional plan which some industry
observers speculate was a preemptive strike aimed at the Religious Reich.
It appears to have been at least partially successful as seen by this Fatwa
from a year ago:

    New Scientist--"Abstinence is the best way to prevent HPV,"
says Bridget Maher of the Family Research Council, a leading Christian
lobby group ..."Giving the HPV vaccine to young women could be
potentially harmful, because they may see it as a licence to engage in
premarital sex."

Compared to the new Fatwa:

    CNN-- Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council, both
faith-based conservative policy organizations, recently have spoken in
support of HPV vaccines from Merck and GlaxoSmithKline because of their
life-saving potential. But the organizations still promote abstinence
before marriage as the best way to prevent infection. "The HPV vaccine
does not, in any circumstances, negate or substitute God's plan for
sexuality ..."

I'm kind of curious who in their right mind might have made the argument
that a vaccine would substitute for a deity in the first place? I bet such
claims never came from my side of the political divide. But whoever it was,
it turns out there's no conflict between God and vaccines after all! And
just in case any trouble makers go back and find religious extremists
saying otherwise, I'm sure Squealer will sneak into the barn and revise any
pesky records so as to reflect the new truth.

Matt

... She sells unix shells by the sea shore
--- SBBSecho 2.11-Win32