US requires that immigrants get vaccinated with HPV vaccine
By Sue Mueller
Sep 17, 2008 - 10:05:06 PM

WEDNESDAY Sep 17, 2008 -- The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that people who immigrate to the US to become a permanent resident are required to receive the HPV vaccination.

Gardasil the only available HPV vaccine on the current US market is made by Merck and indicated to prevent cervical cancer, an extremely rare disease that kills about 4,000 women each year in the U.S.

The new rule documented in the Centers for Disease Control's revised Technical Instruments to Civil Surgeons for Vaccination Requirements requires that girls and young women need to show proof of having been vaccinated with HPV vaccine or no green card would be granted, Naturalnews.com reports.

The HPV vaccine has been tested in short term trials and long term efficacy and safety remain unknown while more than 9000 reports of cases of adverse effects including more than 20 deaths associated with the vaccine have been reported since approval of the vaccine in the June of 2006.

Most of people can naturally clear up HPV or human papillomavirus without any medical intervention. The remaining small portion of the population are at relatively higher risk of cervical cancer, which is expected to kill 3,870 women this year, a very low fatality compared to many other diseases such as heart disease and breast cancer.

The report by naturalnews.com suggests the new move is a sign of Merck's success in lobbying the governments to push mandated vaccination among certain populations. Merck early lobbied states and a couple dozen of states seemed to have been ready to force the HPV vaccine on girls younger than 11 or 12 years for whom the vaccine’s efficacy and safety has not been adequately tested. The trials involved largely women older than 11 or 12.

Critics said the new rule is a setback for the consumers' medical choice and freedom, according to naturalnews.com
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