Kentucky, New York, Utah Take Actions On HPV Vaccine, Sex Education Programs

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Women's Health / Gynecology;  Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 13 Feb 2008 - 8:00 PST

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The following highlights recent news about programs related to human papillomavirus vaccines and sex education.

HPV

• Kentucky: The House Health and Welfare Committee voted 9-5 Thursday to approve a bill (HB 396) that would require girls in public and private middle schools to receive an HPV vaccination, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports (Ungar, Louisville Courier-Journal, 2/8). Under Kentucky law, immunizations are not required for "any child whose parents are opposed to medical immunization against disease and who object by a written sworn statement to the immunization of such child on religious grounds" (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/5/07). The bill would allow parents to opt out of vaccinating their children, but they would be required to sign a waiver that stated they understand the connection between HPV and cervical cancer, the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer reports. Rep. David Watkins (D), the bill's sponsor, said that Gardasil is a "miracle vaccine," adding, "I cannot understand why anyone would not want to see their child immunized." Opponents of the bill questioned the long-term efficacy and safety of the vaccine and argued that requiring the vaccine would undercut parental authority and promote sexual promiscuity among teenagers. The bill now heads to the full House, which is expected to vote on the measure next week (Covington, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, 2/8).
  
  
• Utah: The Utah Department of Health recently announced that half of the 8,000 doses of Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil purchased by a $1 million donation from the parents of Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) have been distributed to physicians, the Salt Lake Tribune reports (May, Salt Lake Tribune, 2/10). Gardasil in clinical trials has been shown to prevent infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases, and to prevent infection with HPV strains 6 and 11, which cause about 90% of genital warts cases (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/7). According to the Tribune, the donation by Jon and Karen Huntsman was in response to the rejection of a bill (HB 358) by the House Health and Human Services Committee in February 2007 that would have provided $1 million to the health department for the program. Becky Ward, education outreach coordinator for the Utah Immunization Program, said, "We're not seeing as much" use of Gardasil "as we'd like" to see. She added that it is "going to take a little time for the information to circulate" that Gardasil is a "cancer-preventing vaccine." Kathy Burke, assistant medical director for Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, said she is not surprised by the response because Gardasil is new. She added that private-practice ob-gyns also are not used to administering the vaccine and likely do not want to deal with the reporting requirements or invest the money to buy the doses. The state's remaining 4,000 doses of Gardasil will expire in 2010, the Tribune reports (Salt Lake Tribune, 2/10).

Sex Education

• New York: Students at Lawrence Road Middle School in Uniondale, N.Y., are meeting with legislators throughout the state to lobby for the passage of the Healthy Teens Act, which would provide funding for age-appropriate comprehensive sex education in New York state schools, the Long Island Newsday reports. Last week, the students met with Sen. Craig Johnson (D), who said he supports the measure. He added that he hopes it will be brought to the Senate floor so that supporters can show how the bill will "prevent teenagers from facing difficult choices." The students, who recently made a trip to Albany, N.Y., with the Family Planning Advocates of New York State, also have support from Planned Parenthood of Nassau County (Amon, Long Island Newsday, 2/8).

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