Assessing mandatory HPV vaccination: who should call the shots?
In 2007, many legislatures considered, and two enacted, bills mandating HPV vaccination for young girls as a condition of school attendance. Such mandates raise significant legal, ethical, and social concerns. This paper argues that mandating HPV vaccination for minor females is premature since long-term safety and effectiveness of the vaccine has not been established, HPV does not pose imminent and significant risk of harm to others, a sex specific mandate raises constitutional concerns, and a mandate will burden financially existing government health programs and private physicians. Absent careful consideration and public conversation, HPV mandates may undermine coverage rates for other vaccines.
Javitt
Gail
G
Genetics and Public Policy Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Berkowitz
Deena
D
Gostin
Lawrence O
LO
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D000068857:Human Papillomavirus Recombinant Vaccine Quadrivalent, Types 6, 11, 16, 18; D006801:Humans; D037141:Mandatory Programs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000068857:Human Papillomavirus Recombinant Vaccine Quadrivalent, Types 6, 11, 16, 18; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines