NCJW Applauds FDA's Support for HPV Vaccine
October 30, 2006, New York, NY -- The Board of Directors of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) issued the following statement regarding recommendations concerning the distribution of Gardasil, the first human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine:
"The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) applauds and endorses the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent recommendations concerning the distribution of Gardasil, the first human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. This drug shows tremendous promise in preventing cervical cancer. It should be made widely available and affordable.
"Citing the results of clinical trials, the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that girls as young as 9 and all girls and women ages 13 to 26 receive the HPV vaccine. Because the vaccine has proven effective only when introduced before an individual contracts a strain of the sexually transmitted HPV virus, it is vital that girls have access to and receive the vaccination before they become sexually active. To protect their future health, the ACIP also recommends that Gardasil be included in the government's Vaccines for Children Program, which provides free vaccines to eligible Alaskan-natives and Native Americans and children covered by Medicaid, among others.
"NCJW notes with great concern the opposition to these guidelines expressed by right-wing organizations claiming that this vaccine will encourage promiscuity. We are appalled that these groups would risk the lives of millions of women and girls by promoting such misinformation, and we are pleased that the FDA and the CDC have thus far rejected these indefensible arguments -- a stance that should be reinforced by all public health advocates. We urge the federal government to educate the public by sharing factual and relevant information and to provide adequate funding to ensure that this vaccine is readily available. Nothing should stand in the way of protecting women of all ages from cervical cancer."
NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.
Contact:
Vanessa Schnaidt
212 645 4048 x179; vschnaidt@ncjw.org