The government of Ontario has announced that it will offer free HPV vaccines to girls in Grade 8, beginning this fall. Premier Dalton McGuinty made the announcement at Women's College Hospital in Toronto. Under the $117-million three-year program, the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, will be offered to approximately 84,000 girls. The vaccinations will be administered by public health nurses in schools.
COMMENT: The government decided to go ahead with this mandated despite the Canadian Medical Association's plea to halt the program due to safety and efficacy concerns. In an interesting twist, 13-year old girls get the final say on the shot: They can refuse against their parents wishes. Conversely, they can get the shot even if their parents do not approve.
Looks like the government listened more to the Merck lobbyists than to its own medical doctors. Or, perhaps it was something else? Last summer, Texas Governor Rick Perry received "kickbacks" for mandating the vaccine by executive order. Wonder what Premier McGuinty received for this decision?
Friday, August 03, 2007
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