Running head: Case Study

Case Study: The Battle Over the Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Ike Evbuomwan
Monroe College

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2
Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ethical dilemma surrounding the
cervical cancer vaccine.

Case Study: The Battle Over the Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Case Study

Cervical cancer, like any cancer, can be a fatal disease. The disease is spread
sexually by human papillomaviruses (HPVs). When Gardasil was approved by the
Food and Drug Administration, Merck, the developer of the drug, began lobbying for
the vaccine to be made mandatory. Merck stood to earn billions from the vaccine
becoming mandatory. Their efforts included contributing money to candidates who
were pro mandatory vaccines and funding women in government. Practices which
most view as unethical. Some states actually did make the vaccine mandatory.
Texas governor, Rick Perry, compared the disease to polio, a disease contracted
from the poliovirus that could be transmitted by simply not properly washing hands.
These scare tactics would cause parents believe they should get the vaccine
without knowing much about it.
Later the drug Cervarix, similar to Gardasil, was released by Glaxo. The
difference was, Cervarix prevented a different type of cervical cancer.
Unfortunately, even between the two drugs, not all types of the cervical cancer
were prevented so the drugs did not do away with the need for regular screenings.
On the other hand, the drugs did prevent two types of cervical cancer that
accounted for 70% of cervical cancer. The treatment costed about $380 and
publically funded programs would ultimately pay this cost. Arguments were made
that the funds can be better used to further the development of cures for diseases
such as breast cancer. Does the cost outweigh the benefits? Campaigns for
regularly scheduled cancer screenings had already contributed to the largely
decreasing number of victims claimed by cervical cancer.
Religious conservative felt the vaccine encouraged premarital sex. The
vaccine performed best when administered to girls prior to becoming sexually
active. It is reasonable to assume some people would see it as a free pass to

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become sexually active sooner than you might have if you otherwise were not given
the vaccine but that is where education becomes a factor. Parents and young girls
should be informed that the vaccine is not a cure all beat all. There are still many
inherent risk to engaging in sexual activities such as pregnancy or other STDs. Boys,
although not at risk of cervical cancer, are susceptible to HPV. The study showed
males responded to the vaccine, but it was never pushed for boys to receive the
vaccine as well. Just as the vaccine should be offered with the option to opt out for
girls, it should be for boys.
The conflict in the case is should the vaccine be made mandatory for girls. If
yes, a range of questions arise. What about boys? Will this encourage premarital
sex? Are the benefits of the vaccine worth what it cost? Just about all these
questions can be answered by making the vaccine optional and having health
insurance cover some, if not all, of the cost as preventative care. This would allow
parents of both boys and girls to option to do what they feel is best for their needs.
If I were a state legislator I would not support mandatory vaccination for girls.
Certain other mandatory vaccines were made so for the sake of the public.
Vaccinations for contagious diseases were made mandatory because they could
cause an outbreak. Cervical cancer does not fit in with this mold therefore
mandating the vaccine would be unethical. As a result of these questions, lobbying
for mandatory vaccines for cervical cancer has drastically slowed but that is not to
say that the vaccine wont one day be made.
As a leader you often have make decision between whats good for some,
whats good for all and whats good for me. In the case of vaccines for cervical
cancer, it is only good for some. Therefore, making the vaccine mandatory would be
the unethical choice. Enacting a program that allows you to receive the vaccine

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should you so choose is the ethical choice. As a leader this choice satisfies all
parties involved and is the ethical choice. Additionally, what good for me is almost
never the ethical choice. Merck attempted to get a drug, sold exclusively by them,
to become mandatory. They werent interested in educating the public, only in their
own selfish gain. One cannot lead with their own interest at heart because it often
leads to further unethical practices that usually borderline illegal.