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October 17, 2006...While thousands of people raced to the Hatch Shell for the 14th Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk this weekend, Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge) made strides himself against another cancer affecting young girls. Moore and 20 of his colleagues have filed legislation (Senate Docket 2789) to require sixth grade girls to be vaccinated against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) which has been linked to nearly all cases of cervical cancer.
“Like breast cancer, cervical cancer is one of the top leading causes of cancer deaths among women in the United States,” said Moore, who authored the legislation. “Today, a new vaccine approved by the FDA has the potential to reduce the cervical death rate by more than two-thirds. Although no one has been able to determine the cause of this cancer, filing this bill is a step to reduce the risk of getting cervical cancer. ”
The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has unanimously recommended that 11 and 12 year old girls be routinely vaccinated against Human Papillomavirus. In addition to prevention benefits of this new vaccine, the state could save millions of dollars in avoided costs of caring for women with cervical cancer.
This bill would require that all sixth grade females in public and non-public schools be immunized against Human Papillomavirus unless the parents of the student provide a written statement that vaccination conflicts with sincerely held religious beliefs. Under this legislation, the Commonwealth will cover the cost of the immunizations for children whose financial eligibility is below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines.
According to the American Cancer Society about 3,700 women will die from cervical cancer in the United States during 2006. Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. Because of early detection through screening and prevention, cervical cancer death rate has continued to decline.
For more information on Senator Moore’s legislation or work in the Senate, log onto www.senatormoore.com
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