Bill Proposal to require HPV Vaccine for girls entering 6th grade

[dana82]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan girls entering the sixth grade next year would have to be vaccinated against cervical cancer under legislation backed Tuesday by a bipartisan group of female lawmakers.
The legislation is the first of its kind in the United States, said Republican state Sen. Beverly Hammerstrom, lead sponsor.
The vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June for use in girls and women and has been hailed as a breakthrough in cancer prevention. It prevents infections from some strains of the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus, which can cause cervical cancer and genital warts.
A government advisory panel said that ideally, the vaccine should be given before girls become sexually active.
The American Cancer Society estimates that cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 9,700 women nationwide and that 3,700 will die.
Some critics around the country have expressed concern that schools would make the vaccine a requirement for enrollment. They have argued that requiring the vaccine would infringe on parents’ rights and send a message that underage sex is OK.
As with other vaccines required for schoolchildren, the bills have a provision allowing parents to opt out of the HPV vaccine requirement for medical, moral or philosophical reasons. But some critics are still concerned.
"We don’t feel using school attendance as a form of coercion to get parents to vaccinate their child is appropriate, simply because this disease is not transmitted through casual contact the way other diseases are that are subject to school mandates," said Peter Sprigg, vice president for policy at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.
The three-shot vaccination costs $360. Hammerstrom said that most Michigan employers will cover the vaccine and that uninsured girls could be covered through the federal government’s Vaccines for Children program.
Health officials estimate that 20 million people are infected with HPV, with 6.2 million new infections occurring every year. About 80 percent of sexually active women will be infected by age 50, but for 90 percent of those infected, the virus is naturally cleared from the body and becomes undetectable. The vaccine can prevent disease from two types of HPV that are responsible for about 70 percent of all cervical cancers.

Other states are doing the same.

I know alot of your have kids what are your thoughts?

I personally think its a good idea because alot of my friends got diagnosed with HPV in college. I don't ever want to go through what they went through. I got the first round a month ago. The vaccine consists of 3 injections over 6 months.

[Maxgain]

thumbs up

[.V.]

Hmmm, you know you can teach them your morals, teach your values, teach right from wrong. But you can't put a chastity belt on them.

I've got two girls and both will be vaccinated, just as both have been taught right from wrong.

Nothing wrong with telling them they are getting a vaccine to help protect against a kind of cancer that women get. Guess what? I'm sure if there was a vaccine to protect against breast cancer - no one would complain about it.

[arbit]

I dont have kids, but I'm puzzled by those who are against it.
Unless they are saying the vaccine should never ever be given to women, whats the harm in giving it now ? I mean I got the polio vaccine as an infant, not when 21+.

And dana, the article does not mention anything about the reduction in probability of getting HPV with the vaccine. It just says cervical cancer via HPV is cut by 70%.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by arbit

It just says cervical cancer via HPV is cut by 70%.

It reduces THAT risk by reducing risk of catching the HPV virus.

The wart photos shown in 9th grade health class should have been enough to eliminate the disease completely. But apparently they weren't.

[arbit]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

It reduces THAT risk by reducing risk of catching the HPV virus.

Irrelevant.
Say only 10% of HPV viruses can lead to cervical cancer.
It is only mentioned that the Vaccine takes care of those.
So it reduces chance of HPV by only 10%.

Again, the aricle has no mention of the % of the GENERAL HPV viruses it immunizes against.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by arbit

Irrelevant.
Say only 10% of HPV viruses can lead to cervical cancer.
It is only mentioned that the Vaccine takes care of those.
So it reduces chance of HPV by only 10%.

Again, the aricle has no mention of the % of the GENERAL HPV viruses it immunizes against.

I don't have time right now. But you can probably check the CDC and find out more info. Or the drug approval folks, the FDA.

[gymgirl]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

The wart photos shown in 9th grade health class should have been enough to eliminate the disease completely. But apparently they weren't.

9th grade? we got those on 5th grade, and let me tell you they scarred me for life. those photos along with the childbirth video they showed... i knew then and there i wasn't going to be pushing anyone outta me.

[.V.]

Different time dear. No way that stuff would be taught before High School back in the dark ages.

My 5th grader knows more about the mechanics of all that, STDs and all that stuff now than I did in the 9th grade. Of course I taught my girls all of the biology and morals at an age appropriate level from the time they were just little.

Ha, the childbirth videos. I've got some of those for the classes I teach. Scary stuff for adults and not for kids. They have gotten ahold of them and got a good fright though. Made for lots of questions that had to be answered though.