U.S. Rep. Gingrey Congratulates Texas Legislature On Victory Over Misguided HPV Executive Order

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 09 May 2007 - 9:00 PDT

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U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-GA) today congratulated the Texas State Legislature for its victory over Governor Rick Perry's grossly-misguided executive order requiring vaccination against HPV for every sixth-grade girl. Yesterday, Gov. Perry announced he would not veto legislation overturning his executive order, marking a strong victory for advocates of voluntary vaccination and parental control over healthcare decisions for our children.

"The Texas Legislature has made it clear that HPV vaccination is a choice for the doctor's office, not the statehouse," said Gingrey, an OB-GYN physician. "Across the nation, states are reversing the trend toward mandatory vaccination, and realizing that parents and physicians - not government bureaucrats - should be making this important decision. We rightly require vaccination for communicable diseases, like measles and mumps: diseases students can spread through sneezes and coughs. But HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, and therefore it is unnecessary and inappropriate for the government to take important healthcare choices away from families regarding vaccination."

Gingrey has introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives encouraging states to pass voluntary vaccination programs. H.R. 1153, the Parental Right to Decide Protection Act, would prohibit federal funds from being used to implement mandatory HPV programs. To read more about this legislation, click HERE.

Congressman Phil Gingrey, M.D. (GA-11)
gingrey.house.gov

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