The arc of the HPV story

The HPV rants that I had in the past seem to have come full circle. The WSJ had an article on Wednesday that Merck is going to cease lobbying at the state level for its HPV vaccine Gardasil. Political backlash by parents, physicians and consumer advocates forced Merck to abandon its backroom deals to use legislative action to force all girls in a state (or the District) to have a $360 vaccine before being promoted in middle school.

Again, I am firmly for vaccination and particularly for HPV. But this must be done in full and transparent consultation with those persons who will be required to be vaccinated. Forced vaccination, in and of itself, has merits. But I am glad to see that this discussion about the HPV vaccine will take place in the open. And not be forced so that Merck can use the law to guarantee a revenue stream. No company should use the government to prop up its earnings (this is naive on my behalf but I still think it is true). Shareholders should not benefit from these sorts of shady arrangements. People should discuss the merits of the offerings of a company and effect a mandatory vaccination policy based upon merits and safety. This ensures that Merck (and other companies) make the best product which is chosen on its efficacy. True capitalism is rare in this country and this is a nice example to show that the competitive model must be judged by the consumers and not forced down their throats. Glad to see that the little people have stood up for their rights and denied Merck a short-cut to enhance its revenue stream because Merck is eyeing a tight patent timeline.