Reginald Finger

Reginald Finger, M.D., M.P.H. was a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an influential United States government committee linked to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). His scheduled term on the ACIP was from 04/22/03 to 6/30/06. ACIP's mandate is to advise the President on the most effective means of preventing diseases through nation-wide vaccination campaigns.

In an interview with Michael Specter for the March 13, 2006 issue of "The New Yorker", Dr. Finger stated that, should an HIV vaccine become available, ACIP would have to carefully consider its effects on sexual activity. "'We would have to look at that closely," he said. "With any vaccine for H.I.V., disinhibition would certainly be a factor, and it is something we will have to pay attention to with a great deal of care.'" This statement is supported, in part, on prior reports that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for HIV is known to have a disinhibition effect on sexual behavior in some populations.

Dr. Finger supports the development, testing, FDA approval, and marketing of the HPV vaccine. This vaccine is a powerful tool to prevent infection with certain types of the human papillomavirus and the cancers and other conditions it can cause.

In June, 2006, Dr. Finger voted unanimously with the other members of the ACIP in approving a universal recommendation that young women receive the HPV vaccine.

Dr. Finger and others have pointed out that the issue of "disinhibition" should be considered and thought through with regard to HPV. Experts at CDC have done this and concluded that disinhibition is not a significant factor with HPV and should not be a reason to avoid the vaccine. Dr. Finger has publicly agreed with this conclusion on several occasions.

Like many others, Dr. Finger does not favor a mandate by state legislatures to make HPV vaccine a requirement for school attendance. This is because he believes that the decision to vaccinate for HPV belongs to a woman, her parents, and her medical caregivers. He believes that most medical decisions belong in this realm and that only in unusual circumstances should the federal or state governments step in to dictate the practice of medicine. Vaccines for diseases such as measles, which are contagious in the community in the ordinary sense, and which are earmarked for global eradication, are an example of such an unusual circumstance.

References

* "Political Science: The Bush Administration's war on the laboratory," "The New Yorker", March 13, 2006
* [http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1206813,00.html Defusing the War Over the "Promiscuity" Vaccine] , "TIME Magazine", 21 June 2006
* www.regfinger.com