SB 097 in Senate State Affairs Monday, 2-5SB 080 headed to Senate Appropriations, date TBDSB 07-097 [PDF] creates the Cervical Cancer Immunization Act and proposes to add cervical cancer vaccine to the list of vaccinations required for school entry. The bill also creates the cervical cancer immunization program, sets up the cervical cancer immunization fund and a public awareness campaign.SB 097 will be heard Monday Feb. 5th at 1:30 p.m. in room 356 by the Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee. There are 4 other bills scheduled to be heard. There has been some confusion about SB 097 because the media is only reporting on SB 80. SB 097 is a stealth bill because the title of the bill is "Allocate Tobacco Settlement Money". This bill allocates tobacco settlement money to several different programs, including a new HPV program and mandate. The part that deals with HPV vaccine starts on the bottom of page 13 and goes through page 17. Here is a link to SB 097. This bill creates the CERVICAL CANCER IMMUNIZATION ACT, which says: Cervical cancer immunization requirements for school entry. PURSUANT TO SECTION 25-4-904, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROPOSE TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH A RULE TO ADD CERVICAL CANCER VACCINE TO THE LIST OF VACCINATIONS REQUIRED FOR SCHOOL ENTRY. SB 097 also creates "The Cervical Cancer Immunization Program" and "The Cervical Cancer Immunization Fund" and directs the Dept. to conduct a campaign to make the public aware of cervical cancer immunization. If you already contacted the members of State Affairs last week concerning this bill, contact them again and give them 3 new pieces of information. (1) The NVIC press release "Vaccine Mandates Risky and Expensive" as well as the link to the actual reports of adverse reactions and cost analysis NVIC press release Adverse reactions and costs (2)News articles exposing that Merck is funding Women in Government, the group pushing HPV mandates, and how Colorado legislators and other states are reacting to this news, including what Governor Perry of Texas did. (3)Information just put out by AAPS, a physicians group, on HPV vaccine. (posted at the bottom of this alert) Senator Groff - 303-866-4864 - peter.groff.senate@state.co.us Senator Windels - 303-866-4840 - senatorwindels@comcast.net Senator Romer - 303-866-4852 - chris.romer.senate@state.co.us Senator Schultheis - 303-866-4835 - dave.schultheis.senate@state.co.us Senator May - 303-866-2737 - senatormay@ronmay.org SB 080 will go to Senate Appropriations Committee next. Comments can only be made regarding cost. No date has been set yet. However, there will probably not be a lot of notice so now is the time to contact these committee members. With cost in mind, here are some points to make and questions to ask: Colorado does not need to mandate HPV vaccine in order for it to be available under the Federal Vaccines for Children Program. This program already covers the HPV vaccine for children and teens under 19 years of age, who are either uninsured, Medicaid-eligible, American Indian, or Alaska Native. STD Facts The mandate would cost parents who are underinsured a lot of money. Give them the NVIC and AAPS info on cost. (See copies with links at the end of this alert) A lot of private physicians will not give this vaccine because the reimbursement rates are so low. (See AAPS info below) How much will this mandate increase the cost of health insurance? What about Governor Ritter's Colorado Promise regarding health insurance? Mandates drive up the cost of health insurance and force everyone to pay for something they may not need or want. Just how many girls in the state will be under this mandate? Do you have accurate numbers? How much will it cost if the health dept. adds other age groups to this mandate? Is it going to be enough to say 12-year-old girls need this vaccine, but 13 to 26 year girls don't? How much will it cost for boosters that may be required because the duration of protection is not known? Boosters just had to be added for chickenpox and whooping cough. Are the costs of these new boosters just added to the list taken into consideration? The requirement for pneumoccal vaccine was suspended for 6 years for lack of funding. The board of health only recently added this vaccine back on. To mandate HPV vaccine and say the funds will be there without knowing the exact cost and where the money will come from is putting the cart before the horse. See board of health draft on these changes at: Board of Health draft Is it right to force everyone to pay for this vaccine with tax dollars and increased insurance costs when HPV can be avoided by abstinence? Flu vaccines are widely available even though flu vaccine is not required or mandated for school. A school mandate is not necessary. A school mandate is also not necessary for illegal aliens to be eligible for this vaccine because they are already eligible to receive all vaccines for free recommended by the federal government. Governor Ritter has made raising immunization rates a priority, even though the most recent figures show very high rates. Every time a new vaccine is added to the list it becomes more difficult to sustain high immunization rates. What will the costs down the road be to force citizens to comply with more and more mandates? Will more money be put into the immunization tracking system? Will Governor Ritter sign an executive order like Governor Perry of Texas just did? For more on Governor Ritter's agenda and the vaccination rates read: Ritter's Agenda ACTION NEEDED AGAINST SB 080:Contact these senators and express your cost concerns.Senate Appropriations Committee: Chair: Senator Tapia, Abel (D) 303-866-2581 - abel.tapia.senat@state.co.us Vice Chair: Senator Keller, Maryanne (Moe) (D) 303-866-2585 - moe.keller.senate@state.co.us Brophy, Greg (R) 303-866-6360 -greg@gregbrophy.net Groff, Peter, (D) 303-866-4864 peter.groff.senate@state.co.us Harvey, Ted (R) 303-866-4881 ted.harvey.senate@state.co.us Johnson, Steve, (R) 303-866-4853 steve.johnson.senate@state.co.us Kopp, Mike (R) 303-866-4859 mike.kopp.senate@state.co.us Takis, Stephanie (D) 303-866-4855 stephanie.takis.senate@state.co.us Veiga, Jennifer, (D) 303-866-4861 jennifer.veiga.senate@state.co.us Windels, Sue (D) 303-866-4840 - senatorwindels@comcast.net This information from AAPS should be available later today at AAPS website Merck lobbyists work for HPV vaccine mandates; Texas governor bypasses legislatureAs was predicted by parental rights advocates, the "recommendation" of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Gardasil) was immediately followed by legislative proposals to force 11-year-old girls to receive the vaccine as a condition of school attendance.Merck, which could make $1 billion per year in sales from mandatory Gardasil, is not only funding lobbyists but funneling money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female legislators. A top official from Merck's vaccine division sits on the Women in Government business council. The company refused to disclose the amount of money it has donated to that group or has spent on lobbying. Laws are proposed in at least 18 states, including California, Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas. The bill was narrowly defeated in Michigan. Gov. Rick Perry decided to override the Texas legislature, issuing Executive Order RP65 (Boston Herald 1/30/07 Boston Herald article). The Order requires girls entering sixth grade, generally aged 11 to 12, to receive Gardasil. The Executive Order stands until Perry or a successor changes it. The legislature has no authority to repeal it. "He's circumventing the will of the people," said Dawn Richardson, president of Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education. "There are bills filed. There is no emergency except in the boardrooms of Merck, where this is failing to gain the support they expected." A live vote by MSNBC News showed that 65 percent said "No, parents should decide whether or not their daughters are vaccinated" in response to the question "Should a state require that schoolgirls get the shot against human papillomavirus?" Only 32% said "Yes, the vaccine is best for girls' health," with more than 25,000 responses tallied. MSNBC Poll Although there is a provision for parents to opt out for religious or philosophical reasons, parents complain that the Order interferes with their right to make medical decisions for their children, noted the Alliance for Human Research Protection. The Executive Order requires the Department of State Health Services to make the HPV vaccine available through the Texas Vaccines for Children program for "eligible young females" up to age 18, and the Health and Human Services Commission to make the vaccine available to "Medicaid-eligible young females" from age 19 to 21. Pediatricians and gynecologists have been refusing to stock Gardasil because of the $360 price for three doses and "totally inadequate insurance reimbursement." Most will give patients a prescription to get filled and bring back, but the cost to the patient is far more (AP 2/3/07). AZ StarNet According to the National Vaccine Information Center, a survey of pediatric practices in Virginia revealed that parents could be charged between $525 and $930 for the series of shots. According to the National Network for Immunization Information (NNII) director Martin Myers, "many of us are concerned that a mandate may be premature, and it's important for people to realize that this is not as clear-cut as with some previous vaccines." Although Myers says he's enthusiastic about Gardasil, "it's not the vaccine community that's pushing for this" (Immunization News 2/1/07). http://www.infoinc.com/imnews2/imnews.html Gardasil is not approved for use in boys, so it cannot be marketed for this use, though physicians can prescribe it. It is hoped that Gardasil may prevent anal cancer in homosexual men. An efficacy trial is in progress; however, it is "complicated by the fact that gay men may contract HPV after only a few encounters." It has been "difficult for researchers to find gay men who have had only a few sexual partners," said Dr. Joel Palefsky of the University of California San Francisco (ibid.). Additional Information: AAPS Statement on Human Papillomavirus VaccineLawmakers Rush to Mandate HPV, News of the Day 12/11/06.Condoms, HPV Vaccine Touted for Reducing Cervical Cancer, News of the Day 7/6/06. a href="http://www.nvic.org/Diseases/HPV/docsurvey.htm">NVIC on costs. NVIC Private Pediatrician Office SurveyNorthern Virginia Area HPV Vaccine (GARDASIL) CostsJanuary 2007 In January, 2007 NVIC conducted a small survey of private pediatrician offices in the Washington, D.C. area. Four pediatric practices in the Northern Virginia area were contacted to determine the total cost of the HPV three-dose series, administration fees and office visit charges. The cost for GARDASIL vaccine and administration fees ranged from $420 to $825 for a three-dose series plus additional charges for each office visit to receive the shot. The additional charges for the three office visits related to administration of the vaccine varied depending upon if the patient (1) is a current patient; (2) is a new patient; (3) the vaccine is administered by a physician; (4) the vaccine is administered by a nurse; (5) the visit is for a well-child and preventive care; (6) the visit is for sick child care. Based on this information, total costs for the series of three GARDASIL vaccinations, related administration fees and office visit charges are estimated to range from $500 to $900 or more. Pediatric Practice #1 Contacted 1/31/07 GARDASIL Vaccine and Administration Fee: $420 ($140 per shot) Office Visit Charge: $150 to $185 for new patient or no charge to $88 for current patient. Three Shot Series: Minimum $420 plus office visit charges. Pediatric Practice #2 Contacted 1/31/07 GARDASIL Vaccine and Administration Fee: $555 ($185 per shot) Office Visit Charge: $110-205 for new patient, less for current patient. Three Shot Series: Minimum $555 plus office visit charges. Pedatric Practice #3 Contacted 1/7/07 GARDASIL Vaccine and administration fee: $525 ($175 per shot) Office visit charge: $35 to $83 Three Shot Series: Minimum $630 Pedatric Practice #4 Contacted 1/31/07 GARDASIL Vaccine and Administration Fee: $825 ($275 per shot) Office Visit charge: $82 for new patient, less for current patient. Three Shot Series: Minimum $825 plus office visit charges. |
