by JESSICA HOPPER
Sixth grade girls may soon have another vaccination to get at their back-to-school doctor’s appointments.
The General Assembly passed bill HB 2035, which makes it mandatory for sixth grade girls to receive the Gardasil vaccine. Gardasil helps prevent the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted microbe that is responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. The bill, if signed by Gov. Tim Kaine, would go into effect in October, 2008.
But how will this law affect local middle school girls? Penni Allen, the clinic coordinator for Rockbridge County Schools, has not heard from many parents regarding the HPV vaccine. Nor does Allen know how many, if any, students have already received the vaccine.
In order to register for school, a student must present an immunization record showing that the student has received all mandated vaccines.
If the bill is signed, the schools will not offer the vaccine. Besides private doctors, the Lexington-Rockbridge Health Department on White Street and the Buena Vista Health Department on Magnolia Avenue, will be the only local places to offer the vaccine. The immunizations coordinator for the Central Shenandoah Health District in Staunton, Debbie Bundy-Carpenter, does not know what the fiscal impact will be if the law is signed. She did say that the health department is obligated to give the vaccine at no cost to patients.
The proposed law has an opt-out policy attached to it that would allow parents to decline the vaccine for their children. The opt-out policy would be based on one’s personal philosophy. In other words, one could decline the vaccine for their child because they do not believe the vaccine is appropriate for young girls. This belief does not have to be based on religion or one’s medical history. Bundy-Carpenter called this opt-out policy historical if it passed.
“Right now, in the state of Virginia, there has never been a philosophical exemption; we have religious and medical exemptions,” Bundy-Carpenter said.
Bundy-Carpenter said that those who will use the philosophical exemption will be minute, similar to how few people opt out of vaccines because of religious or medical reasons today.
The HPV vaccine itself is so new to Rockbridge County that people are just beginning to seek it out in the public health office.
“There are still a lot of unknowns,” Bundy-Carpenter said.
Kaine says that he will sign the bill. He has until the end of March to do so.
What's happening with the bill right now
Related blog from Rockbridge Report producer
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