A proposed plan to mandate a vaccination that could protect young girls against the harmful Human Papillomavirus in Massachusetts has stalled for now, and opponents of the plan have called the immunization requirement unnecessary.
In April, Gov. Deval Patrick announced a $24.8 million funding increase for the Universal Immunization Program, which distributes Gardasil. A month later, Sen. Richard Moore (D-Worcester) proposed a bill that would require immunizations for all girls entering sixth grade.
“The rates of HPV are pretty staggering,” said Tim Hoppe, Moore’s legislative and budget director. “They are of epidemic proportions. There are many people that could benefit from the vaccine and aren’t getting it.”
In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved the HPV vaccine Gardasil, which protects against the four most common strains of HPV. Inoculated women are protected against two strains known to cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and two strains that are responsible for 90 percent of genital warts cases.
Massachusetts is one of many states pursuing mandatory vaccinations, and Texas and Virginia have already put it into legislation, according to a May 2 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
HPV, the most common sexually transmitted disease, has been clinically proven to cause cervical cancer. Lydia Shrier, Director of Clinic-based Research at Children’s Hospital Boston said the vaccine is only effective if it is administered before women encounter the virus through sexual intercourse.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, 80 percent of sexually active women will contract a strain of HPV before the age of 50.
Still, Shrier said she opposes mandatory vaccination.
“It is unlikely that near-universal vaccination will be achieved unless the vaccine is mandated,” she said. “But unlike other infectious diseases for which vaccines are mandated, HPV is transmitted by intimate, not casual contact, which makes the rationale for requiring the vaccine for school entry less compelling.”
Opponents have also criticized efforts to make the vaccine compulsory for girls of such a young age.
The website for the Massachusetts Family Institute, an organization that recently testified against the institution of a mandatory HPV immunization policy for 11-year-old girls at a hearing of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, states parents should have access to information on the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine so they can make informed decisions for their children.
An article in the May edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association said lawmakers should also exercise caution before instituting mandatory HPV immunization because the virus poses no airborne threat to humans and should be treated differently than other immunization mandates.
A number of women’s health care facilities — including Planned Parenthood — offer the HPV vaccine Gardasil, while most large insurance plans will cover the cost of the vaccine.
“We definitely support making the vaccine available to every girl,” said Lisa Dacey, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. “We’ve taken measures to make it accessible to everyone, regardless of income. What’s important is that girls receive the vaccination before they become sexually active.”
The vaccine, administered in three separate injections over a six-month period, is available at Boston University Student Health Services for $450 but is not covered by BU health insurance.
Gardasil, manufactured by Merck, is the only FDA-approved vaccine for women, and several other vaccines are still in development. No approved vaccine has been made available for men.