It is estimated that 74 percent of the 6 million new cases of genital Human Papilloma Virus in the United States occur in 15- to 24-year olds every year.
Worldwide, cervical cancer is the fifth most frequent cancer in women. It also affects about 16 of every 100,000 women per year and causes death in about 9 of every 100,000 women per year.
However, the simple fact is that Gardasil cannot treat HPV. It can only help prevent it. This is why health professionals are targeting girls and young women ages 9 through 26.
Gardasil was invented by Professor Ian Frazer. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on June 8, 2006. Gardasil is for girls and women ages 9 through 26. It is targeted toward this age range because the vaccine works only if given before infection occurs.
Therefore, health workers are targeting girls before they begin having sex. The vaccine is given as three injections over a span of 6 months. The second dose is given two months after the first dose, and the third dose is given four months after that.
Like every vaccine, it has side effects and risks. The most reported side effects are pain, swelling, itching, and redness of the injection site, fever, nausea, and dizziness.
Gardasil is not recommended for those on medication, who have a bleeding disorder, who have a weak immune system, who are sick, who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant or who have certain allergies.
This vaccine has the chance to save many lives but it comes at a high price. It has been estimated that the required injections of Gardasil will cost between $300 and $500 per patient. Not everyone has the money or the insurance to pay for this vaccine. What are women going to do if this vaccine becomes mandatory?
Where does the government expect to get the money to pay for vaccinating every girl from the age of 9 through 26? Furthermore, not everyone should be expected to receive Gardasil because it can be dangerous depending on the person’s medical condition. Lastly, the idea of Gardasil becoming mandatory not only threatens our wallets, but also our freedom.
Making a vaccine such as this mandatory goes against everything this country was built on. The United States was based on the idea of freedom. How can this be achieved if others are making personal decisions about health and sexuality for us?
If this sort of power is given to the government, there is no telling what else the government will control. We, as Americans, control the government, not the other way around. Gardasil should not become mandatory. It will only create anger.
It should not be the government’s choice, but ours alone.
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