Controversial vaccine adds to expense of migration
The US government has declared that all female immigrants must be treated
with Gardasil, a controversial vaccine against the human papillomavirus which
causes most cervical cancers. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal,
immigration advocates are upset because this adds to the already hefty cost of
migrating. The ruling flows from a 1996 law which stipulates that any
vaccination recommended by the government for citizens is mandatory for
green-card applicants.

"We don’t want someone coming into the US who hasn’t been vaccinated against
measles or chickenpox," said Dr Jon Abramson, a member of the board of a
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel which recommended the vaccine
last year. "[But] HPV can only be communicated by sexual contact… This is not
something that endangers kids in a school setting or puts your population at
risk."

The vaccine sparked controversy because many parents felt that it might
remove a barrier to sexual promiscuity. It has generated more than US$1 billion
in sales for its manufacturer, Merck. However the company denied that it had
lobbied to include Gardasil on the list of vaccines for immigrants. ~ Wall
Street Journal, Oct 1

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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