Problem Solving
July 12, 2006 by Laura | Trackback URI
I’ve posted on this before, but just to recap: HPV is a disease that can eventually cause cancer. The HPV vaccine is the cause of some controversy. Some people think the vaccine should be universally administered, the same way MMR is, and that vaccination for HPV should be required for all children. Why the controversy? Because HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. A mandatory vaccination for something that is only transmitted sexually. Since it is sexually transmitted, there is no risk at all to other students if your child is not vaccinated. I don’t have a problem with the vaccine, but making it mandatory is nanny-state nonsense.
Oak Leaf at Polipundit is also pro-choice on this issue. In response to some commenters who argued along these lines-
“The policy of not admitting children without vaccines is not only aimed at preventing infection in elementary school, but its goal is also to create a society full of immune individuals, since so many people go to public schools.
Making it mandatory for admittance into schools is a convenient way of making sure that this disease dies out quickly.”
he then upped the ante by pointing out that circumcision can reduce the risk for HIV, so should we now enforce circumcision for all boys?
Interesting idea. If making it mandatory for girls to be vaccinated against an STD is logical, mandatory circumcision is equally logical. But it doesn’t go far enough.
Boys are far more at risk for HIV, and the vast majority of HIV infections are due to sex. 73% of all HIV diagnoses in 2004 were for males. Of all 2004 HIV diagnoses, 81% of male, and 78% of female HIV infection are due to sex.
Consequently I suggest that the solution is to put a stop to all teenage sex. And in keeping with the idea that girls who wish to attend school should receive a mandatory STD vaccination, I think that it’s only sensible to require all boys to undergo chemical castration if they want to attend school.
I’m sure, presented with these facts about HIV transmission, that the people who demand mandatory HPV vaccination will agree with me. After all, who doesn’t want to protect children from HIV/AIDS?
[Disclaimer: I wouldn't have thought it was necessary to say this, but this is extremely sarcastic. I'm not seriously advocating we do this, just employing reductio ad absurdum to prove a point.]
Trackbacked to the Conservative Cat.
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