Michele Bachmann stirs debate with "false statements" on HPV vaccine

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., in a Sept. 12 GOP presidential debate in Tampa, Florida.

(CBS) Michele Bachmann is getting heat from medical experts after making some eyebrow-raising comments about childhood vaccines.

Pictures: 10 deadly myths about childhood vaccines

Speaking in the presidential debate, Bachmann said Texas Governor Rick Perry's 2007 order mandating human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for school girls was a "violation of a liberty interest," CBS News reported.

"I'm a mom of three children," Bachmann said during the debate in Tampa, Florida. "And to have innocent little 12-year-old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat out wrong."

Bachmann went one step further the following day on the Today Show, saying that a mother came up to her in tears following the debate, and told Bachmann that her daughter became mentally retarded after receiving the HPV vaccine.

"It can have very dangerous side effects," she said on Today. "This is the very real concern, and people have to draw their own conclusions."

Cue the medical community. Experts immediately jumped to debunk these claims.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement to "correct false statements" Bachmann made on the HPV vaccine.

"There is absolutely no scientific validity to this statement. Since the vaccine has been introduced, more than 35 million doses have been administered, and it has an excellent safety record," the statement read. This is a life-saving vaccine that can protect girls from cervical cancer."

The medical consensus among officials recommends 11- and 12-year-old girls should be vaccinated because that's the age when the vaccine produces the best immune response in the body, and because it's important to protect girls before they are sexually active, the academy said.

The CDC said, "Both vaccines were studied in thousands of people around the world and vaccine safety continues to be monitored by CDC and the FDA." The agency found no serious side effects, and found the most common side effects were soreness and swelling in the arm where the shot was given, fainting, and dizziness.

Bachmann's claim echoes the claims that vaccines cause autism, which have been widely debunked since the landmark Lancet study - which has since been retracted - reported a link, CBS News reported.

"Congresswoman Bachmann's decision to spread fear of vaccines is dangerous and irresponsible," Evan Siegfried, a spokesman for the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership, told Politico. "There is zero credible scientific evidence that vaccines cause mental retardation or autism. She should cease trying to foment fear in order to advance her political agenda."

Click here to learn more on 10 deadly myths about childhood vaccines.

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10 deadly myths about childhood vaccines

[kansas1946]

I wonder if this brain-dead twit has had her children vaccinated against diptheria, measles, polio, etc. Although, I disagreed with Governor Perry's mandate that girls must have the vaccine, there are many vaccine's that you have to have before attending school. This is nothing new. It is just because the crazed right thinks this might have something to do with sex and sex they just can not tolerate, at lease for anyone but themselves. That any American would vote for a Republican at this time amazes me.

[thomasmc1957]

God help America if this retard ever gets in the White House!

[JackWintner]

The false claim was not from Bachmann but rather from The AAP, who falsely attributed the claim to Bachamann. Read your own story. She simply passed along information she received from a woman whose daughter had suffered from mental retardation after getting the vaccine. Bachmann responsibly did not generalize on that fact. Both the AAP (directly) and The Star Tribune (by implication) false attributed the claim to Bachmann. That is political propaganda by Jaslow, not reporting.

[AttyFAM]

She is so retarded. What chance does the daughter have?

[tsigili]

The main issue with this, is Bachmann didn't really enough about what she was attacking Perry over. In the end, it will cost her.....and not him.

[bbattz]

"I'm a mom of three children," Bachmann said during the debate in Tampa, Florida. "And to have innocent little 12-year-old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat out wrong." To me this seems a bit ridiculous. Like any child who received a vaccine had a choice? Isn't every parent who brings their child to get a vaccine giving their own "executive order?" Are we supposed to wait until the child is 18 years of age Mrs. Bachmann?

[jt92202]

11,000 women per year is diagnosed with Cervical Cancer in the US and 4000 die every year!

"As of June 22, 2011 there have been a total 68 VAERS reports of death among those who have received Gardasil® . There were 54 reports among females, 3 were among males, and 11 were reports of unknown gender. Thirty two of the total death reports have been confirmed and 36 remain unconfirmed due to no identifiable patient information in the report such as a name and contact information to confirm the report. A death report is confirmed (verified) after a medical doctor reviews the report and any associated records. In the 32 reports confirmed, there was no unusual pattern or clustering to the deaths that would suggest that they were caused by the vaccine and some reports indicated a cause of death unrelated to vaccination."

Even if all 32 (per the CDC 36 have not been confirmed, see above paragragh from the CDC website) unusual deaths can be attributed to the vaccine is that worse then the 4000 deaths a year because of Cervical Cancer or the 11,000 diagnoses of Cervical Cancer? No not all cervical cancer is because of HPV nor does the vaccine take care of all Strains of HPV. This doesn't even take into account of how many Men get Penial Cancer due to HPV!

When this vaccine came out I took my daughter down and had her vaccinated, it was MY RESPONSIBILTY AS A PARENT to make sure the health and well being of my children was first and foremost!! Just as I would for Chickpox, Rubella, Polio..... I want my kids to have a long life and without vaccinations you are playing russian roulette with them! Not only for your child but for others also because without these vaccinations you are spreading these deseases to everyone around you!!!

[pdr1216]

I would think the CDC would be considered an accurate source for the reports on this vaccine and they are saying 68 deaths have been reported. Here is the link http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/hpv/gardasil.html . I don't think her statements are false. Whatever the results may be, I don't think an executive order was necessary. I definitely wouldn't allow my daughter to get this shot.

[DrRM121]

If you read the entire article, it says non of the confirmed deaths have actually been shown to be caused by the vaccine. Please read the whole article and not just the parts that you think agree with you.

"In the 32 reports confirmed, there was no unusual pattern or clustering to the deaths that would suggest that they were caused by the vaccine and some reports indicated a cause of death unrelated to vaccination."

[illcountryboy]

You would rater she get cervical cancer? Because there are way more than 68 deaths a year form Cervical CA. Now if you would go so far as to read the whole article or have someone read it and explain it to you the 32 deaths cannot be truly aligned with the vaccine.

[tmccool]

Bachmann should stop getting her talking points from chain e-mails.

[Daddyman56]

Sounds to me like Michelle Bachman got a quadruple dose of the vaccine - she seems to be the only person involved in this discussion with a serious case of mental impairment. Must be a defective honesty gene.