Texas: Mandate for HPV Vaccine...

Well, for those who don't live in Texas...you may not know about this news...
Our Governor wants it to be mandated that all school age girls get the new HPV vaccine. There's a HUGE debate going on about this.

"Texas House Public Health Committee Monday ended a daylong hearing without a vote on Governor Perry's executive order to make schoolgirls age 11 and 12 have the HPV vaccine, effective Aug. 2008."....from www.foodconsumer.org

Certainly there is much criticism about this.

And of course...I have an opinion.
I'm all for anything that would prevent my dtr (future tense, since I only have a son right now!) from getting cervical cancer.
But...I don't want the government telling me that I must give that to my child.
And, what are the long term effects of this vaccine? Don't really know that yet, do we? And, my child is almost a year & a half. If I were to have a little girl who is turning 11 next year, I'd probably be paying WAAAAAY more attention to this because it would be my "here & now." For me, I have at least 11 years before I ever have to think about this.
Other parents are concerned that they will now have to give the talk about "the birds & the bees" before they or their child was ready for it. Well...I gotta say...11 & 12 year olds of normal developmental stages are in 5th, 6th, & 7th grade. Certainly by 7th grade you should be having that discussion anyway! In the school district where I grew up---there was no sex ed class. We had a video in the 5th grade about starting your period. All the girls had to watch it while the boys got to go out and play on the playground. (that seemed fair....) Other than the video, we touched on this stuff in Health class (usually taught by a football coach...). So, the parents NEED to be having these talks at home. Chances are, it will begin before they are in the 5th, 6th, or 7th grades.

So...I don't think parents should be forced into this. But, I think it should be readily available, and AFFORDABLE for those who want it.

That's my $0.02 for the day.