Michele Bachmann Slams Rick Perry Over HPV Vaccine (VIDEO)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), the mother of three daughters -- though she seemed to momentarily forget how many children she had -- went after Rick Perry during Monday night's GOP debate for his 2007 executive order mandating that young girls in Texas be vaccinated against HPV, the most common sexually transmitted disease and one that can lead to cervical cancer.

"To have innocent little 12-year-old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat out wrong. That should never be done. That's a violation of a liberty interest," she said.

She then argued that Perry had a conflict-of-interest because one of his top staffers was a lobbyist for Merck, the drug company that manufactured the vaccine.

"I just wanted to add that we cannot forget that in the midst of this executive order, there was a big drug company that made millions of dollars because of this mandate. We can't deny that," Bachmann said, referring to Merck.

"What I'm saying is that it's wrong for a drug company -- because the governor's former chief of staff was the chief lobbyist for this drug company. The drug company gave thousands of dollars in political donations to the governor, and this is just flat-out wrong. The question is, is it about life, or was it about millions of dollars and potentially billions for a drug company?"

Perry clarified that he received a $5,000 donation from Merck. "I raised about $30 million," he said. "And if you're saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I'm offended."

"Well, I'm offended for all the little girls and the parents that didn't have a choice," replied Bachmann. "That's what I'm offended for."

The Bachmann campaign quickly sent out a press release on Perry's HPV record:

Texas Governor Rick Perry has admitted he was mistaken to issue his 2007 executive order mandating the Gardasil vaccine against a sexually-transmitted disease for 11-year-old girls. However, it remains unclear how much his ties to Merck, Gardasil's maker, influenced this decision. Key advisors to Perry worked for Merck as lobbyists before and after he issued this executive order and Merck donated $6,000 to Perry in 2007. The drug maker stood to make tens of millions off Perry's order until the legislature overturned it. ....

Lobbyist Mike Toomey served as Perry's chief of staff for two years, then went on to lobby for gambling interests and the manufacturer of the HPV vaccine. ...

Internal Perry office emails show frequent contact and coordination with Merck lobbyists, such as Mike Toomey and Lara Keel, in the weeks leading up to Perry's decision on the executive order.

Perry's campaign also issued a statement, saying, "Governor Perry has always been a strong believer in protecting parental rights, which is why this executive order allowed parents to make the final decision about whether or not their daughter was vaccinated. ... Gov. Perry stands firmly on the side of protecting life, and he viewed the issue in that context since HPV is a leading cause of cervical cancer in women. However, he has said that, in hindsight, his order was a mistake because citizens should have had the opportunity to express their opinions beforehand on such a sensitive issue."

Comments

[Jaycie Gibney]

01:02 PM on 09/16/2011

It's not a surprise that the HPV vaccine has serious consequences. The CDC website says that 8% of people who receive the vaccine have SERIOUS reactions, including: "hospitalization, permanent disability, life-threatening illness, congenital anomaly or death." See for yourself: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/hpv/gardasil.html

[William Jamison]

01:37 PM on 09/18/2011

you cherry-picked that webite to support what you wanted to say.

Here's the disclaimer from the top of the page that you referenced:

"VAERS data cannot be used to prove a causal association between the vaccine and the adverse event. The only association between the adverse event and vaccination is temporal, meaning that the adverse event occurred sometime after vaccination. Therefore, the adverse event may be coincidental or it may have been caused by vaccination, however we cannot make any conclusions that the events reported to VAERS were caused by the vaccine."

[Michael Glenister]

06:49 PM on 09/14/2011

Some people need to do some research before 'offering' their opinions.

You already have to get your kids vaccinated for diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, etc. before they can go to school. This is to prevent them from dying from those diseases, and so they don't spread them to unvaccinated kids (eg. babies too young to be vaccinated). So why the issue with the HPV vaccine, which is one of the safest vaccines available??? (M.B.'s anti-science opinions nowithstanding)

Would you rather your daughter die of cervical cancer?

Remember an ounce of prevention (vaccine) is worth a pound of cure (chemo, radiation, health care costs, etc.) in the future.

P.S. The HPV vaccine will not make kids any more promiscuous than their tetanus shot would. Think about it...

[rues]

12:16 PM on 09/14/2011

Who is paying these imbicils to support injections into these young girls? Just wait..It twenty years the majority of these young girls will probably die of unknown side effects. The medical people probably have the parent sign some sort of paper that releaves them of responsibility, the doctors get a commission for the number of injections they sell, the drug Corporations have their profits and then what? Who pays and cares for the loss or serious side effects of an injection that was supposed to protect...If my girls were young, I would not take the risk. peace

[mlfertig]

11:28 AM on 09/14/2011

Forcing children , or anyone for that matter to get an injection of any kind against their will because the Govt' and manufacturer says its is needed to prevent contracting a certain virus sounds like something you would hear about it a Communist or Dictatorship where the people do not have free will like we have(well, like we are supposed to have) here in the USA..
But the governor's likns to the Drug Manufacturer are very questionable, and thats saying it nicely..and the Skeleton behind Mr Perry's door #2 is ?

[John Di Saia]

09:50 AM on 09/14/2011

Government should not force this vaccine. What she said was a bit over the top but with the concept, I agree.

[MBG-9]

09:44 AM on 09/14/2011

Bachmann's the one with "mental retardation," the woman has no grasp on reality or the truth. HOW is she taken seriously by ANYONE?

Love YAmanda!

[yayahootiewhoogm]

09:13 AM on 09/14/2011

I agree with her. My doctors office tryed to pressure my daughter and me to get her this shot! I said no! This is nothing but a money maker for them and the company who make it. It states it MAY STOP THE HPV CANCER.......NOT THE WORD MAY! This is wrong and no one knows what could happen with this shot in 10 years. Now they want boys to take it! This needs to be stopped!

[EmilyRose 85]

10:12 PM on 09/13/2011

So how exactly do we tell the "innocent little girls" from the young women who will at some point in their lives have sex? I agree that the lobbying dollars are concerning, but the idea that any governmental action encouraging parents to protect their children's health violates a "liberty interest" is nonsense.

[yayahootiewhoogm]

09:18 AM on 09/14/2011

You know, once you start having sex you need a pap smear every year anyhow. Don't forget it says MAY STOP HPV......DOES NOT MEAN IT WILL! I say save your child from taking this shot!

[EmilyRose 85]

12:07 AM on 09/15/2011

Detection and possible prevention are two completely different goals. Of course no vaccination can eliminate the need for protection and regular health care. But to suggest, as Bachmann and her ilk do, that young women should not receive the vaccine because their parents might have to discuss sex with them is selfish and dangerous.

[William Jamison]

01:41 PM on 09/18/2011

indeed continuing to have an annual pap exam is required, but those vaccinated WILL have 70% less cancer, and 70% fewer painful surgeries to remove infected tissue following an abnormal pap exam.

The vaccine truly does provide clear health benefits.

[Leslie Botha]

05:41 PM on 09/13/2011

Governor Rick Perry’s Gardasil ‘Mistake’ Cost Girls their Lives
Reneging on Gardasil mandate in the Lone-Star State is an admission of guilt
and should not be forgiven or forgotten.
http://sanevax.org/governor-rick-perrys-gardasil-%E2%80%98mistake%E2%80%99-cost-girls-their-lives/

[Heather XW]

06:36 PM on 09/13/2011

I know. And when he said that if anyone kills a Texin' they'd be sent to the chair. I thought what a hypocrite. His policy is frightening.

[rich88865]

04:40 PM on 09/13/2011

She probably needs a vaccine or two, her husband might of contracted a number of things "curing" all those gay guys (she probably doesn't have much contact with her husband but just to be safe).

[blukazoo]

04:31 PM on 09/13/2011

I can't keep from gagging anytime I hear a republican talk about political corruption in Washington or when they challenge each other over who is in the back pocket of some large business interest. Perry's chief of staff was formerly the head lobbyist at Merck and by some random cooincidence Perry passes a law that gives them a bunch of money at the expense of the people. Is there more blatant corruption to our system anywhere more than the republican party?

[getoffmedz]

04:21 PM on 09/13/2011

If these other GOTP candidates were serious about going after Perry there is a lot more ammunition than the HPV issue. Here's a lot more:

Under the Perry one-party Republican rule, Texas state agencies are plagued by continuous pay-to-play politics, mismanagement and corruption, here is only the TOP 10!

• #1: Texas Youth Commission Covers-up Systemic Child Abuse
• #2: Child Abuse, Neglect Continue Under Republican Rule
• #3: Scandal at Texas State Schools
• #4: A.G. Abbott Wasted Tax Dollars on Partisan Election Year “Voter Fraud” Witch Hunt
• #5: Perry’s Political Cover-up Continues at Forensic Science Commission
• #6: TEA and SBOE: Republicans Fail Texas Children
• #7: Texas Workforce Commission Burdens Texans with Debt, Delays Benefits
• #8: Perry’s HHSC: Bad For Texans’ Health
• #9: TxDOT’s One Billion Dollar Math Error Takes a Toll on Texas Taxpayers
• #10: PUC Allows Criminals to Manage Prepaid Electric Providers

These are the current TOP 10 scandals. Many are on-going lasting for years.

Google the titles. This stuff is so extensive it will keep you busy for months.

[Maarten Wentink]

04:20 PM on 09/13/2011

This morning Bachman claimed a mother came to her last night and claimed that her daughter suffered mental retardation as a result of the HPV vaccination. Martin Basher called Bachman out on this: His team called the Dept of Health & Human Services and they were anaware of any cases of mental retardation as a result of the HPV vaccine. Martin Basher suggested that Bachman should contact the mother and suggest this case should be investigated so other cases could be prevented OR Bachman should walk back this unscientific claim. Look, I don't like how Perry went about it either (executive order to vaccinate) but lets keep it real Bachman.

[La Elle]

04:09 PM on 09/13/2011

I'm offended that we actually have people in this country who think highly enough of Bachmann to elect her to public office.

[KittECoyne]

03:40 PM on 09/13/2011

Michelle Bachmann's scientific ignorance about vaccinations was apalling! She stands as living proof of the folly of using the Bible as your source of understanding medicine. I wonder if she vaccinates her kids at all: maybe her kids are unprotected against measles, mumps, whooping cough, tetanis, typhoid and other diseases which kill. If you want to see what HPV does to young women just Google it. If you want to TAKE A CHANCE that your daughter will have to choose between a hysterectomy at the age of 25 and cancer, you can opt her out of the HPV vaccine---I'm sure she'll thank you!

[AnnainLA]

06:10 PM on 09/13/2011

Your ignorance of the lack of proof of the efficacy of the HPV vaccine is appalling. The vaccine reduces the proliferation of certain types of HPV and increases others that thus face less competition.It is possible that the strains that then become dominant area also carcinogenic. The vaccine does not reduce the type of llesions that progress to cervical cancer, just the ones that don't.
Most people will get HPV but few will get cervical cancer and diet and lifestyle have something to do with whether your HPV results in cancer.
Prestigious medical journals including the Journal of the AMA have said that the efficacy of the vaccine is in question.
Just as you cant chain smoke and rely on chemo to cure your lung cancer, young girls need to know that they can't rely on this vaccine to protect them from cancer and infertility as a result of HPV

[William Jamison]

01:46 PM on 09/18/2011

you are spouting pure unadulterated nonsense.

HPV is a double-stranded DNA virus, and as such mutates only very slowly (i.e., over extremely long periods of time).

HPV type 16, which is the strain most likely to cause cancer, has evolved over thousands of years in such a way that iti is particularly adept at evading the immune system.

Once it is removed from or greatly reduced in the population, it will not be readily replaced by other cancer-causing strains because they have not yet evolved in the way type 16 has.

Please don't speak toward issues that you have no understanding of.

[wcdaley6754]

07:31 PM on 09/13/2011

It's the MANDATE the she is having the problem with, and which I too have a problem with. All those diseases you mentioned are contracted through the air person to person without doing anything at all, merely breathing the air or touching something the infected person touched. It's not comparable. WHERE do you see Bible in that story? Where did you HEAR Bible in the story? What do you have some kind of Bible phobia? Like little kids "see" monsters in their closets and under their beds?