We have come a long way in the past 5 years with HPV. WAY back then most doctors didn't even recognize HPV as a causative agent for Oral Cancer. Dx'ed in May of 2006 with my Tx ending in Aug I had to fight to even get Moffitt to send my cancer slides to Johns Hopkins to test for the presence of HPV. Testing positive I convinced the St Pete Times to write an article about the male connection to HPV. Because of that I was invited to testify before the Florida House in the Spring of 2007 which was considering a mandatory Gardasil HPV vaccination for girls entering the 9th grade. Before the vote, the sponsor changed it from mandatory to provide an "opt out" clause meaning no one had to get it if they didn't want and despite that it still failed along political lines. My mask and I testified that HPV affected men as well as women and vaccinating females would save lives.

Next Brian asked me to testify on behalf of the OCF before this same committee, the ACIP. That happened in Oct of 2009. I was one of only 6 to be allowed to speak. Previously this Committee had given it's highest recommendation (Routine) for the female HPV vaccination but now was considering the male vaccination. It was evident that the Committee would not listen to logic but would only allow testimony about the vaccine's proven effect on male Genital Warts. Since they wouldn't consider the cost savings associated with preventing all other male HPV cancers the Committee only gave it their Permissive recommendation meaning that parents would have to ask their doctors about it and more importantly the vaccine's cost would be much higher. The Committee said that when the medical community could "prove" it's connection to the other cancers then they would reconsider. We all imagined a lengthy period of time before this issue would be brought up again.

So now just 2 short years later and the Committee using the SAME information it had 2 years ago concludes that NOW it is cost effective to give it it's Routine recommendation. Go figure but no one will complain!

Now the war will start up again at the state level to see if new bills will be introduced to make it mandatory, with or without a "opt out" clause, for either girls or boys or both. I have already placed calls to the previous sponsors here in Fl.