Some Decisions Should Rest

With Parents

To the Editor:

As parents of two young girls, we’re writing about something that troubles us deeply.

Legislation was introduced last year at the state level to make Merck’s HPV vaccine, Gardasil, mandatory for adolescent girls in Connecticut. The vaccine, designed to prevent an STD that may lead to certain cancers, has been approved by the FDA despite being linked to various side effects — including paralysis. This legislation was proposed by State Representative DebraLee Hovey (R-112).

Ms Hovey serves on the board of an organization, Women in Government, which was paid by Merck to lobby for Gardasil. Visit Google.com and search for “DebraLee Hovey Merck” if you’re interested in learning more.

Gardasil is also expensive. The required three doses cost $360, which health insurance may not cover. The president of the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations wrote Hovey to strongly rebuke her proposal and Merck connections (Google “federation Connecticut taxpayer hovey” to read the letter).

We understand and sincerely respect the fact that Ms Hovey is a cancer survivor and her own family members were vaccinated. She has stated that she sponsored this legislation because she felt it would save lives, not because of Merck’s payments to Women in Government. Even accepting her explanation, we as parents should be allowed to weigh the costs and benefits and make this important decision for our children — just as Ms Hovey did for her family.

Given her desire to wrest parental control on this issue from her constituents, we cannot support Ms Hovey on November 4.

Sincerely,

Jason and Christine Desser

76 Grist Mill Road, Monroe                                        October 22, 2008