HPV Vaccine and Immigration

PyariCgudia · Oct 14th, 2009, 09:34 PM

I don't know how true this is because some of my relatives are stupid, indeed. They are claiming that for visas and citizenship/immigration (whatever all that), they're mandating the girls in Pakistan get the HPV vaccine.

Now, the vaccine is controversial enough here in America, for religious reasons. The Christian and conservative groups are against it because they say it gives them one less reason to scare their daughters from not having premarital sex.

But what I find concerning, is that my relatives claim that everyone they asked about the vaccine warned them NOT to take it because of bad side effects (of course, which my uncle could not EXPLAIN ONE LIFE-ENDANGERING side effect to me). I looked it up and the vaccine has generally the same side effects other vaccines have.

So, I have two questions for you guys:

1. Are the vaccines being mandated for immigration out of Pakistan to the United States? I'm still not clear if its MANDATORY or OPTIONAL.

2. Why are doctors in Pakistan discouraging the vaccine when there is no evidence to suggest that the vaccine is life threatening? I mean, we're not Catholics, so I don't get why the Pope's disapproval of the vaccine would have any effect on Pakistanis?