Gov. Rick Perry‘s plan to inject every sixth-grade girl with anti-human-papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil may have just lost its biggest booster – Gardasil’s manufacturer, Merck & Co.

Merck is pulling the plug on its campaign to get states to make vaccination mandatory, after massive criticism for its publicity tactics. Not that this may necessarily derail the plan, since Perry is charging on regardless. That’s even though more than half the Legislature remains unconvinced by Perry or Merck’s claims about the medical value of the injections or that the money (more than $300 per person) may not be better spent on other anti-cancer initiatives.

Texas is not the only state considering handing hundreds of millions of dollars to Merck: Currently, around 20 states have HPV-vaccination legislation pending. Even if it did all go wrong, Merck made an estimated $235 million off Gardasil by the end of 2006, and its shares have risen 20% since the vaccine was first FDA-approved last June. So it’s not exactly hurting.

Whether this means Merck will dump their massive and pervasive “One Less” advertising TV and poster campaign for the vaccine has yet to be seen.

This article appears in February 16 • 2007.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.