Drug Company Merck has Announced Suspension of its Lobbying Efforts

The drug company Merck has suspended its lobbying efforts to have state legislatures require that school age females be vaccinated with their drug, "Gardasil", in order to attend public schools.

This news story from Fox News:

"TRENTON, N.J. — Merck & Co. is immediately suspending its lobbying campaign to persuade state legislatures to mandate that adolescent girls get the company's new vaccine against cervical cancer as a requirement for school attendance, the company said late Tuesday.

The drugmaker had been criticized by parents and doctors' groups for quietly funding the campaign via a third party to require 11- and 12-year-old girls get the three-dose vaccine in order to attend school.

Some had objected because the vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted disease, human papilloma virus, which causes cervical cancer. Vaccines mandated for school attendance usually are for diseases easily spread through casual contact.

"Our goal is about cervical cancer prevention and we want to reach as many females as possible with Gardasil," Dr. Richard M. Haupt, Merck's medical director for vaccines, told The Associated Press.

"We're concerned that our role in supporting school requirements is a distraction from that goal, and as such have suspended our lobbying efforts," Haupt said, adding the company will continue providing information about the vaccine if requested by government officials." "


See the entire story firsthand at the following link:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,253162,00.html


Good news. We do in fact have a voice.

Have to check and see what is going on in the State of Texas, with respect to that state's governor mandating this vaccine via executive order. I believe that a special committee, or a health and human services committee, is due to release a report on their findings this upcoming Monday.

Okay: Here's what's up in the State of Texas:

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Feb16/0,4670,CervicalCancer,00.html