[Bungleau]

A couple of points in here...

Other "mandated" vaccinations are not necessarily free. You may be able to go to a county health clinic and get them for free or minimal charges, but if you have your doctor do it during a visit, there's a cost.

I put mandated in quotes because I'm not so sure it is. I think there are trade-offs... like schools that won't let you in unless you've been vaccinated. Not the same as a mandate, but a close cousin.

It would certainly be interesting to have been a fly on the wall during Merck's discussions about whether to continue lobbying. Was it because of pressure? Bad press? The belief that enough lobbying's been done?

I mean, as a dad, the thought of my daughter dying from cancer doesn't really appeal to me. And here there's a vaccine that can apparently eliminate on of those forms of cancer and save her life? What's the value today of a hug ten or twenty years from now? A whole lot more than $20, $50, or $100 bucks... or whatever the cost of the vaccine is.

As for drug companies and issues with their drugs, is there one drug company who's never had a drug recalled? I'm not sure... and while it's worthy to note their past, it's not a complete indicator of the future.

I'll be following the developments, to be sure.