"In the interest of protecting children and families, Texas Governor Rick Perry should immediately rescind his executive order requiring the HPV vaccination, Gardasil, for young girls in the Lone Star State," said David Bereit, executive director of American Life League, and former Texas resident. "Gov. Perry has turned his back on the pro-life and pro-family people who elected him and is now playing into the agenda of Planned Parenthood, a group which regularly opposes parents' rights and which praised his action as 'a great day for women and for future generations of Texas women and families.'"
Bereit said Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading abortion provider, builds its business by driving a wedge between parents and children. "Gardasil is a vaccination against a sexually transmitted virus, and parents should be the ones to decide whether their young daughters should receive these shots ? not Planned Parenthood, and not the governor of any state. American Life League strongly opposes such a mandatory vaccine because it completely removes parents from these important medical decisions and makes children the innocent victims."
Bereit added, "Planned Parenthood's own internal documents show that the organization makes most of its income from sexually active, young, single women . Not only does Planned Parenthood stand to profit by selling these expensive HPV vaccines, but it also will profit enormously from the aftermath of the sexual promiscuity that will surely follow when young girls are led to believe they can be sexually carefree without consequence once they receive these shots."
Negative reactions to Perry's strident move are growing nationwide as national groups, including Focus on the Family, the American College of Pediatricians, the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Children of God for Life and the Pro-Family Law Center, are lining up with American Life League in opposition to mandatory HPV vaccinations.
Release issued: 7 Feb 07