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Moore wants schoolgirls vaccinated for papilloma virus
by Christian Schiavone February 11, 2007...A local lawmaker has filed legislation that would require sixth-grade girls in the state to receive a controversial new vaccine to protect against a sexually transmitted disease linked to cervical cancer. The bill filed by state Sen. Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge, would require 11- and 12-year-old girls to get a series of three inoculations to immunize them against the four most harmful types of the human papilloma virus. The vaccination would be required for all girls registering for public or private schools in the state. "Preventing cancer and other types of disease is a giant step forward for public health," said Moore, who is the chairman of the state's Health Care Financing Committee. The bill, and similar legislation in other states, has riled conservative groups who say such mandatory vaccinations against a sexually transmitted disease would encourage sexual activity among teens. "There's no question, it's a green light," said Marie Sturgis, a spokeswoman for Massachusetts Citizens for Life, a group that on its Web site describes itself as "the most powerful voice for the right to life in Massachusetts." The group is also an affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee. "It gives girls an illusion of security," Sturgis said. HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer. Moore's office cited data from the Boston Medical Center estimating there are 220 new cases of cervical cancer and 85 deaths from the disease per year in Massachusetts. Moore compared his proposal to current requirements for children to be vaccinated against measles and mumps. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine, called Gardasil, last year. Since then, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and several physicians groups have recommended pre-adolescent girls be immunized against HPV. Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Rick Perry created a stir among his fellow conservatives when he bypassed the state legislature to make Texas the first state to require HPV vaccination for girls. Several other states are also considering similar requirements. Sturgis said Moore's bill was overreaching. "This is a mass hysteria approach," she said. "We don't know the long-term effects of this vaccine on developing 12-year-old girls." Sturgis said the proposal to vaccinate all schoolgirls in the state is out of proportion to the relatively small risk of developing cervical cancer. Moore said it is important to vaccinate girls before they become sexually active because the vaccine does not work on pre-existing HPV infections. "Getting vaccinated isn't going to encourage (children) to have sex, but it might protect them later," he said. Dianne Luby, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, said many critics have missed the point of vaccinating girls against HPV. "This is not about promoting or not promoting sex. It's about preventing cancer," she said. Luby said she hoped that by educating the public and raising awareness, HPV vaccination would become as routine as other childhood vaccinations. In 2005, pharmaceutical firm Merck, the manufacturer of Gardasil, launched a media campaign including television commercials and public events to raise awareness about the vaccine. Still, Dr. Nupur Gupta, director of the Center for Adolescent Health at Milford Regional Medical Center, said some of her patients and their parents who ask for the vaccine do not know about the relatively low incidence of cervical cancer, or that the vaccine is only between 70 and 80 percent effective at preventing infection of harmful types of HPV. "Some of them are not as educated about the vaccine as I'd like them to be," said Gupta, who recommends the vaccine to patients. "They need to be educated not just about the vaccine, but about (cervical cancer) and HPV." There is currently no effective vaccine for boys, who do not usually show symptoms of the virus, but can spread it to sexual partners. Moore's bill will now likely be referred to the Public Health Committee for review. |