Mass. citizens should have healthy distrust of HPV med maker
Regarding the Banner’s recent article on the Gardasil vaccine (“HPV vaccine hitting bumps on road to Mass. approval,” Sept. 20, 2007): No one can convince me that Merck — the company that created Gardasil, and that also created and received FDA approval for Vioxx, which was later discovered to increase the risk of heart attacks, a fact Merck was found to have known long before the company pulled the product from shelves — wants me to avoid cancer.
It took a death and a lawsuit for it to be revealed that Merck knew of the dangers of that drug, but removing it from shelves when the danger was known would have dipped into its profits. Is this what we are up against? No one can tell me that Merck, a multibillion-dollar corporation that depends on diseases to make a profit, cares whether I get cancer. Of course, Merck can create any product it wants to keep those profits growing, but no one should be mandated to be vaccinated to ensure they reach billion-dollar profits.
If HPV is contracted, it is curable. And only “some” types of the virus can lead to cervical or even penile cancer. All women and men need to do is get regular checkups. I am really glad people are speaking out against such a dangerous idea, a violation of privacy, due process and free will, and I do hope more join in.
Karen Spence
Cambridge
Healthy, affordable food a must for Mass. urban communities
Kudos to the National Urban League for highlighting the lack of access to affordable nutritious food in low-income communities (“Congress must not forget urban America in 2007 Farm Bill,” Opinion, Sept. 13, 2007).
Lack of access to healthy and affordable food is a major health disparities problem with dire health consequences for our children. Twenty-nine percent of Massachusetts children and 46 percent of Boston public school students are above healthy weights. This excess weight leads to higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea and depression. As we expand access to health care, we should also be investing more in preventing people from getting sick in the first place. Ensuring access to safe, healthy and affordable food is crucial to protecting public health.
That’s why the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) is championing legislation establishing healthy standards for snacks and drinks sold in schools. On Oct. 11, activists and experts from across the state will discuss this agenda at MPHA’s annual meeting, “Safe and Healthy Food: Growing a Massachusetts Food Policy.” For more information, visit our Web site at www.mphaweb.org.
Vivien Morris
Member, Board of Directors
Mass. Public Health Association
