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was that it was the only way the government would pay the $360 so that girls from low-income families can be vaccinated. It is statistically proven that girls from low-income families are more likely to practice unsafe sex, so vaccinating this population is extremely important. But should the vaccine be required solely for that purpose? Does every girl have to pay $360 to get this vaccine that they don't need just so that low-income girls can get the vaccine they do need for free? If low-income families need financial or medical help, the government provides Welfare and Medicare. And it seems to me we have far bigger problems when it comes to uneducated girls from low-income families having unprotected sex, such as pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. Shouldn't we tackle those problems before writing them all off on this "miracle" vaccine?

The government is supposed to "provide for the... general welfare of the United States" as is stated in the U.S. Constitution. However, is passing a law that only benefits a small population an act of providing general welfare? Or is it one more step over the line between government and families?

David Catania, a City Council member in Washington, D.C. (one of the states considering mandating the vaccine) has said that parents can either have their girls get vaccinated or decide not to under the proposed law. He says that by passing the law, "What we are doing is we're forcing the conversation.". Apparently, parents in Washington D.C. can't think unless there's a government mandate. Instead of letting parents decide for themselves if they want their girls to be vaccinated with this brand new vaccine, the government is forcing them to unless they have an objection. By making the vaccine mandatory, the government would be taking one step further over the line between families and the government. And in the circumstance of the HPV vaccine, there's just too much at risk to let them do that.

The bottom line is that a brand new vaccine should not be a required childhood vaccination. Although the vaccine is an exciting medical advancement, it hasn't been around long enough to prove its effectiveness and safety. It certainly shouldn't be administered to an entire generation of girls just because Merck backs up the legislation with millions of dollars. Instead, we should continue to educate girls about the risks of promiscuous and unsafe sex. We should encourage them to get pap smears to check for cervical cancer so they can catch it while it's treatable. And most of all, we should not treat them like guinea pigs just so a big drug company can make billions of dollars.

Learn more about this author, Liz Orton.
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