A glitch in my blogging software randomly deleted posts and comments over the last few days and brought my entire website down for a short time. Because I have been out of town, I have had limited time to fix the problem and restore the articles.

Oh, and I expect an apology.

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Liberal Delegate Bonnie Brown (D-Kanawha) has created ripples in the conservative and medical community with a bill mandating that all girls in the sixth grade get triform shots to protect them from a strain of the human papillomavirus that causes cervical cancer.

The cost of treatment is relatively high. According to the Charleston Daily Mail, “there are more than 10,000 West Virginia girls in the sixth grade now. Since the vaccine costs $120 per dose, and treatment requires three doses, the state could face a bill of more than $3.6 million.” In addition to the direct cost of materials, the state would also have to pay for additional staffers to administer the vaccination.

Because 80% of all cervical cancer comes from promiscuity or sex before 18 years of age, conservatives are worried that mandating the vaccination will encourage young women in immorality.

Proponents for the vaccination cite that four women died in West Virginia last year of cervical cancer and — much like the Polio Vaccination — this simple step could keep women alive.

But Dr. Joseph DeSoto says not so fast. DeSoto, a physician-scientist at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., wrote in an a Charleston Daily Mail article that there is no conclusive evidence the vaccine will work and there is a potential it may cause even more problems.

DeSoto writes, “according to the data presented to the FDA, which I have reviewed, it was evident that 1) there is no evidence that this vaccine works after five years, 2) two-thirds of those who had been administered the vaccine suffered from moderate to severe pain at the site of injection, 3) it is not known whether in the long term this vaccine may cause auto-immune, neurological or other disorders, 4) the risk for pelvic inflammatory disease, appendicitis and gastroenteritis is doubled.”

While the cure is still debatable, DeSoto has not doubt mandating the vaccine is “medically unethical.”

“Medical ethics require that patients have autonomy in their medical decisions, with informed consent.

“They have a right to know what they have, what the prognosis is, what the proposed treatment is, what the alternatives are, and what the possible side effects are prior to any treatment.

“Indeed, a patient has a right to say no, even if by refusing treatment they might die. I as a medical professional cannot overrule their decisions.

“Here we are talking about forcing a person to undergo mandatory drug therapy (vaccination), when they have no disease, under the presumption that they might get a disease based on future poor behavior.”

Many legislators believe they can solve any problem. Instead of assuming the role of a snake-oil peddler for one corporation’s wares, Bonnie Brown should focus on raising awareness and let parents decide what is right for their children.

Dr. DeSoto’s article is well worth reading.

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Edit: Because the comments on this article have turned from actually discussing the issue to pettiness and name calling by a liberal minister and her husband, I have turned off the comments for this article. For those of you wondering what she called me, it is too crude to actually post up here or even link to the definition. After the comment was posted by the minister’s husband, he asked me to take it down. Because I know if I were in her position I would hate to have this reputation, I have agreed to his request.

This site remains dedicated to free discourse as long as all parties remain civil. However it remains my site and I will delete and edit comments as I see fit. Those not willing to accept the totalitarianism inherent with blogs are welcome to go here.