Virginia Committee Ignores Parental Rights, Health Concerns Of HPV Vaccine Mandate

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Article Date: 24 Feb 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The Family Research Council (FRC) criticized the Education and Health Committee of the Virginia Senate for taking action yesterday to kill HB188, a bill sponsored by Delegate Bob Marshall (R-District 13). Virginia now has the dubious distinction of being the only state in the Union requiring girls to be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV). Moira Gaul, FRC's Director of Women's and Reproductive Health, released the following statement:

"Last April, Governor Kaine signed legislation requiring all Virginia girls to receive the first in a series of three doses of the vaccine prior to beginning the sixth grade. The law allowed skeptical parents only an onerous 'opt-out' provision. Under its terms a parent could void the requirement only after viewing state mandated materials concerning the virus and vaccine.

"Delegate Marshall's bill simply would have postponed the effective date of the vaccination mandate by three years, allowing for the collection of critical long-term data on the vaccine. The committee's actions ignore the rights of parents and push aside real concerns over the health of young girls in favor of corporate profit."

FRC has welcomed the development of the vaccine, but opposes school mandates. FRC's pamphlet Gardasil: What Every Parent Should Know About the HPV Vaccine, is available at http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=BC07E02.

Family Research Council
http://www.frc.org