Texas Gov. Perry says Merck campaign contribution had no effect on decision to mandate Gardasil

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) on Thursday said that contributions made by a Merck political action committee to his campaign had no influence on his decision to issue an executive order requiring that all girls entering the sixth grade receive a human papillomavirus vaccine, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (Stinebaker/Austin Peterson, International Herald Tribune, 2/22).

Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine Cervarix in clinical trials have been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases. FDA in July 2006 approved Gardasil for sale and marketing to girls and women ages nine to 26, and CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices later that month voted unanimously to recommend that girls ages 11 and 12 receive the vaccine. GSK in April plans to file for FDA approval of Cervarix, and it expects approval by the end of this year. Perry on Feb. 2 signed an executive order mandating HPV vaccination for sixth grade girls beginning in September 2008. The Associated Press on Wednesday reported that, according to documents, Perry's Chief of Staff Deidre Delisi and aides discussed Gardasil on Oct. 16, 2006, the same day that Merck's political action committee donated $5,000 to Perry's campaign and $5,000 total to eight Texas lawmakers. The documents also show that Perry aides met with Merck lobbyists beginning in mid-August 2006. Robert Black, a Perry spokesperson, on Wednesday said the timing of the meeting and donations were coincidental, adding that during the October 2006 meeting there was "no discussion of any kind" about mandating Gardasil (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/22). According to the Austin American-Statesman, Perry accepted a total of $6,000 from Merck during his re-election campaign (MacLaggan, Austin American-Statesman, 2/23).

Perry Comments
Perry while touring cancer centers around the state on Thursday said Merck's contributions were a small portion of the $24 million he raised for his campaign. "When a company comes to me and says we have a cure for cancer, for me not to say, 'Please come into my office and let's hear your story for the people of the state of Texas, for young ladies who are dying of cancer,' would be the height of irresponsibility," Perry said, adding, "Whether or not they contributed to my campaign, I would suggest to you, are some of those weeds that we are trying to cut our way through." When asked the date he decided to issue the executive order, Perry said, "I wish you all would quit splitting hairs, frankly, and get focused on, 'Are we going to be working together to find the cure for cancers?' No, I can't tell you when." Perry said he has not decided whether he would veto a bill (HB 1098) that would overturn his order if it passed by the state Legislature. The House Public Health Committee voted 6-3 to pass the measure on Wednesday. "I highly respect the legislative process that we have, and so I would respectfully tell you that we will let it play its way out," he said, adding, "But do you think we would be having the debate today on HPV if I had said, 'Let's pass some legislation?'" (AP/International Herald Tribune, 2/22).

ABC's "World News" on Thursday reported on the debate over HPV vaccine proposals in Texas and other states. The segment includes comments from Texas parents, Texas Rep. Dennis Bonnen (R), Minnesota Rep. Sandra Peterson (D) and William Schaffner, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Von Fremd, "World News," ABC, 2/22). "World News" also included a discussion with Tim Johnson, medical editor for ABC News, on the cost and effectiveness of Gardasil (Gibson, "World News," ABC, 2/22). Video of the segments is available online. Expanded ABC News coverage also is available online.

PBS' "Now With David Brancaccio" on Friday is scheduled to include a report on "the controversy over Gardasil," including a look at debates over the vaccine in Texas and Michigan. Video of the segment will be available online after the broadcast. Expanded "Now With David Brancaccio" coverage -- including an interview with Gary Freed, a professor at the University of Michigan and chair of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee; a commentary by cancer survivor and former cyclist Lance Armstrong; and an interactive state map of HPV vaccination proposals -- is available on the program's Web site.