HPV legislation in Vermont

Women in Government Ratings

Women in Government, a non-profit network of state level women legislators, receives significant funding from the pharmaceutical industry, including Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, and Digene Corporation -- all with products related to HPV vaccination and testing. According to their report, "The 'State' of Cervical Cancer Prevention in America - 2008" :

POPULATION: 623,908

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 7.3/100,000 (2/ 1)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 7.4
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 2.5/100,000 (1 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 2.6

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 87.1% (2 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 87.6%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 23.9% (1 / 1)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Unrestricted (2 / 2)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 13% (1 / 1)
• % Low Income/Uninsured Women: 23%

Policy Initiatives and Infrastructure (2008 Score / Cumulative Score (2005–2008)

Screening Requirements (0 / 0)

• There are no new screening requirements.

Task Forces (0 / 2)

• There is no new cervical cancer prevention task force legislation.

Access to HPV Vaccines (1 / 1)

• HB 256/SB 139 would require girls entering 6th grade to show evidence of HPV vaccination or require parents objecting on religious/moral grounds to sign a statement acknowledging receipt of information about connection between HPV and cervical cancer; to House Committee on Human Services/ Senate Committee on Health and Welfare.

HPV Vaccine Information Programs (0 / 0)

• There is no HPV vaccine information activity.

Miscellaneous (0 / 0)

• There is no new miscellaneous cervical cancer prevention activity.

Additional Notes

• $2,054,155 was appropriated to the state Department of Health to provide the HPV vaccine for Girls aged nine to 18.

Annual Ratings

• 2008: Good (12 out of 22 points)
• 2007: Good (10 out of 18 points)

Articles and resources

SourceWatch Resources

• Gardasil
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Merck
• Women in Government
• Edelman
• The Marketing of Gardasil in Australia
• The Marketing of Gardasil in Canada
• The Marketing of Gardasil in Europe
• The Marketing of Gardasil in New Zealand
• The Marketing of Gardasil in the United States
• Direct-to-consumer advertising
• Disease Mongering
• Drug industry

External links

• Judith Siers-Poisson, The Politics and PR of Cervical Cancer, a four part series, PRWatch.org, July, 2007.