This is incredibly discriminatory. It will surely be a huge burden for immigrant women, who often lack means as it is; however, I am not in favaour of making ANYONE get this vaccine, whether they have to pay for it or it is free. I don't believe it's been adequately tested at all. I blog about my reservations regarding the HPV vaccine here if you want details on my position. http://thebroadspot.blogspot.com/2008/09/hpv.html

suffice it to say, coercing anyone into get this vaccine is not cool in my books!

Gardasil isn't a sure thing against cervical cancer, though. Or preventing HPV. Their own commercials say this. This is just unnecessary vaccination against something that a) might not happen anyway, and b) might not protect anyway. And it's still a young vaccine, who knows what it can do in the long run?

So I have to agree that this is discriminatory. They honestly don't know if it's for a person's own good. And it's not like they're forcing US citizens to get vaccinated. There's not a need for it like the Polio vaccination had.

We're with SarahS on this one. We think there are definitely concerns here beyond the cost, which is obviously a problem.

Our blogs on Gardasil, which were written in January and May of last year, have been linked all over the place and remain the most popular things we've done. We're not "anti-Gardasil", but we do think there's a lot more to talk about here.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Gardasil

10 More Things You Might Not Know About Gardasil

BTW, wtf is zoster? I've never even been vaccinated against that. And are people vaccinated for hepatitis A in school? I remember having hep B shots, but not A.

These are clearly ridiculous hoops for immigrants to jump through. American citizens and government officials bitch about having to provide basic humane health care to illegal immigrants (which would arguably also help keep a healthier general population), then demand that their legal immigrants are protected against shit that even regular U.S.-born citizens aren't, presumably so they can't "spread" it to native-born citizens.

How about helping treat all human beings, even supposedly illegal ones, for communicable diseases, and offering them basic health care, if you're really so concerned about "protecting" your native-born population? What a load.

It would obviously do much more for the well-being of this country to have f'n universal health care than to have immigrants vaccinated for zoster, whatever the fuck that is.

first, i'd like to say that i don't agree with this policy at all. also, do we know what group they are viewing as "age-appropriate" for this vaccine? because we don't know if it is fully effective in individuals who are already sexually active (and so have already probably encountered HPV). either way, immigrant women shouldn't be targeted in this way.

second, i'd just like to make sure that everyone who is questioning the HPV vaccine above is aware of the huge health disparities that exist for cervical cancer. black women and hispanic women are SIGNIFICANTLY more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer than white women. and black women are twice as likely to die from the disease than white women - despite high Pap screening rates in african american communities! this could be because of genetics that leave certain racial groups more vulnerable to invasive forms of the cancer, or it could be a problem with follow up after an abnormal pap result. but either way, it's a problem, and many people in public health think these vaccines could be a great tool to address this disparity.

ps - allegra, zoster is chicken pox. i'm pretty sure children in most states are required to get this vax these days (although I wasn't when I was a kid)

SourceWatch has an extended series on the politics (and lobbying) of Gardisil: it makes for very frightening, and angering, reading.

Ugh. This is such an unsurprising move by the Bush administration; it's sickening. The vaccine and its severe lack of testing (and hello, long-term evidence?) are also terrifying.

Allegra, I totally respect you for pointing out how cervical cancer disproportinately affects women of certain ethnic groups. It's important to acknowledge that because of this, many hispanic and black women might choose to risk potentially harmful long-term effects if they do the risk analysis and find it worth their while; however, I am concerned with how hard this vaccine is being PUSHED in many places, and how it is becoming mandatory for lots of school boards and now for immigration to the US. I think every woman should have the right to CHOOSE Gardasil, as well as the right NOT to choose it, based on which particular risks she feels comfortable making as an individual.

The whole immigration process really both me. When my husband and I married a few years ago, we had to go through all of this immigration shit because he's not a citizen. The paperwork alone cost us well over a thousand dollars (it would have been more had we used a lawyer), hours of our time filling out confusing and contradictory forms, hours spent in meetings to confirm all of his paperwork and finally get him residency.

Some of the forms we filled out required our tax information, and since I was a graduate student at the time and obviously below poverty level, we had to find a co-sponsor. If we had not been able to find one, then our paperwork would have been rejected! It's crazy that our financial status had any bearing on whether or not he could obtain citizenship. Also, we had to go to another meeting to "prove" that our marriage was valid (seriously, we had to show pictues from our wedding, describe our ceremony, etc.)

The entire process was humiliating. It's really designed to keep out the poor as well. All the conservative talk of family values seems to disappear when those families include non-citizens. What other couple has to prove that their marriage is real or spend a ton of money filling out paperwork or submit financial information? This newest requirement does not surprise me at all. Anything to keep out the foreigners...grrr.

I am with others that find making this vaccine mandatory is troublesome not only because of the cost but because this vaccine is still new and has not been studied enough, particularly the potential for long term effects. I had considered getting the vaccine despite the fact that I am older than the target group, but in addition to the cost which I can't afford at the moment I don't like the idea of putting any type of medicine, herb, artificial sweetener, etc. into my body until it has had numerous impartial long term studies. To make a vaccine this new mandatory just seems wrong.

re: the cost thing-

obviously this won't be of help to women outside the US trying to get in, but there are programs in the US to help uninsured lower-income women who want the vaccine. I was unemployed when I got it and Planned Parenthood helped me out with the paperwork. It ended up being less than $100, IIRC.

Just putting that out there in case there are women reading who would like the vaccine but didn't know how to pay for it.

What a clever way to get more human trials on people who would never have the resources to complain.

Ok, so both of my sisters have had Gardasil and so has my best friend, and I'm glad it's out there as long as it's being tested and kept safe. But requiring it of immigrants while arguing against US citizens getting it just sounds to me like a way of saying "oh, our daughters don't need this- they're clean and pure. those dirty immigrants though, they totally need to be vaccinated." This is gross on all kinds of levels, and I don't understand how it's being justified without saying the grossness straight out. Ugh.

I am incredibly glad to find that I'm not the only one who is against or at least suspicious of Gardasil to begin with (not to MENTION how outrageous it is to require immigrants to get it when American girls and women have a choice). I've heard endorsements to the tune that Gardasil is an important positive step for women and that being anti-Gardasil is unfeminist, but I couldn't disagree more. Anything so forcefully endorsed by a drug company, and which is so goddamn expensive, has a greed agenda. I feel used.

(Anecdote: It was a pain in the ass, though, convincing my doctor that I absolutely would not get it. Not surprising, though. Doctors get incentives for prescribing all sorts of drugs [*cough antidepressants cough*].)

What bothers me about this so much is not only that it is a further (economic) roadblock for immigrants, but that it is one that only affects immigrant women.

the testing thing sounds right on the money.... Doesn't surprise me that poor women of color with little voice are being targeted again...the government did test birth control pills on puerto rican women a few decades ago and native women continue to be systematically sterilized to this day..

I am surprised to read this. I just went through the medical exam in July and the doctor didn't mention it. I am surprised mainly that my doctor didn't do it, because it was the lamest medical exam I've been through yet I ended up having to pay about $300. They just took a blood test and asked me if i had any contagious diseases [God forbid someone with psifilis or gonorrhea get married or something like that. If they do they are clearly ill-using some good American citizen]. I guess I'm just bitter because it seems like they think foreigners are whores who need to be check for stds and exotic diseases.

Back to the vaccine, I wonder what's the age cap and I wonder what will they add next. Maybe we'll have to pay a fee for coming and not only taking American jobs but also American tampons (as we know by its taxes they are a luxury item, right?).

Ah. Ha ha. Thanks, moose_rider. It does sound familiar, now that you say what it is.

Yep, I was definitely not vaccinated for chicken pox. Got it when I was 12-ish. And my younger brother, who graduated high school in '06, never had to be vaccinated, either.

I'm all for vaccinations, especially for deadlier illnesses (I don't think chicken pox is that serious, at least not 'til a person gets older, though it is virulent), but a person has got to question the motives of an administration whose supporters stalled legalizing over-the-counter Plan B, and now all of a sudden act like they have women's best interests and reproductive health in mind by forcing a suspiciously new Gardasil vaccine on immigrants. This vaccine should, at least for the time being, until we've had a few years to deem it truly worthwhile, be optional.

HPV and cervical cancer are rather different types of diseases than, say, measles; they're not going to be spread (presumably) through regular contact at school. I'm not sure where I'm going with all of this; I feel that some vaccines SHOULD be required. But I'm also uncomfortable that it feels like the Gardasil is being forced by various groups around the country who previously - and probably still - could not give two shits otherwise about women's reproductive health.

Allegra, you are right. In my mind, the reason to require a vaccination is that the illness is highly communicable, and if it spreads can cause serious illness and death. Requiring a vaccine against something that is spread through a very specific and limited way (and not accidental), like sex, is not appropriate. Making funds available so that anyone who WANTS that vaccine is available is appropriate.

I believe that while we should widen immigration to let more people in, and we should streamline the citizenship process for foreigners who've married Americans, that there should be a high bar to becoming an American citizen. American citizenship should be an honor and privilege--for both natural born & foreign born citizens. As a result we should have a process which encourages people to work hard--very hard--to achieve citizenship. It should require study, work, and demonstrated commitment in fact. While high fees should not be the primary basis of this high bar, it is a fair basis. If people save up thousands of dollars over several years to buy cars, why shouldn't they do the same for American citizenship?

Using a poorly understood drug like Gardasil is not the best tack, however.

This is really strange. Is any other country doing this? I thought Gardasil had an age limit (26?) so what happens if you've over that? If this is such a routine vaccine, then why can't I watch 5 minutes of TV without seeing commercials for it? Strange...

I'm glad you posted something about this. About two weeks ago, i got my greencard medical exam and they told me i had to get the Gardasil vac.
I have to admit that i hadn't done my reasearch on it quite yet and i was (and still am) somewhat skeptical. But i had no choice but to get it anyway...no vaccination, no green card. i was pretty upset that i had no choice in the matter and no time to do further research. I'm lucky enough to have insurance and to have had a medical examiner that didn't mind me getting the vac. from my regular doctor...but women who don't have insurance have to pay 160 dollars just for that first shot at the gvt-picked medical examiner. It's BS.

iheartchai, you actually /do/ have a choice.

There is a little-known provision in the immigration laws stating that you can object to the vaccinations on religious grounds.

The criteria are fairly subjective, and it seems to ultimately come down to the decision of your individual immigration officer.

You may want to research the religious objection rules in case they apply for you.

This definitely is a curve ball, especially considering that the US Dept of Health and Human Services recently lead the decision to lift the ban on HIV-positive individuals from entering/visiting/immigrating to the US. (See http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8555.html)

The ban has been lifted but probably won't actually get implemented immediately, so it's unclear how all this will actually impact travelers and immigrants.