Actions Taken On HPV Vaccine Legislation In Colorado, Indiana

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 10 May 2007 - 18:00 PDT

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The following highlights recent state news related to human papillomavirus vaccines. Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine Cervarix in clinical trials have been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases. FDA in July 2006 approved Gardasil for sale and marketing to girls and women ages nine to 26, and CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices later that month voted unanimously to recommend that girls ages 11 and 12 receive the vaccine. CDC has added Gardasil to its Vaccines for Children Program, which provides no-cost immunizations to children ages nine to 18 covered by Medicaid, Alaska Native and American Indian children, and some uninsured and underinsured children. GSK last month announced that it has filed for FDA approval of Cervarix (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/23). Summaries appear below.

• Colorado: The Senate last week voted 25-9 to approve a bill (HB 1301) that would require health insurers to cover HPV vaccines, the Denver Post reports. In addition, the bill would require the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to implement an HPV education campaign. The bill, passed in the House last month, now moves back to the House for approval of the Senate's changes (Clausing, Denver Post, 5/2).
  
  
• Indiana: Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) late last month signed into law a bill (SB 327) that will require public schools to provide parents of sixth-grade girls with information about the availability of the HPV vaccine and the link between HPV and cervical cancer, the AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel reports. The law does not require that sixth-grade girls receive an HPV vaccine (AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 4/27). The law does require parents and guardians to submit a written statement that says whether the student has received the vaccine, is going to receive the vaccine or will not receive the vaccine or if the parent chooses not to answer the question. Answers in the statements, which will not affect a student's ability to attend school, will be used by the State Department of Health to track Gardasil's effectiveness at preventing cervical cancer (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/18).
  

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