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.
Genetics and Public Policy Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Gail
G
Javitt
Deena
D
Berkowitz
Lawrence O
LO
Gostin
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