House Bill 1419 is a proposed bill in the Virginia House of Delegates for the elimination of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination requirement for females prior to entering sixth grade. Since 2006, Virginia has been one of about 20 states that have enacted legislation to make financial support, teaching, and the vaccine for HPV mandatory for these 11-12 year old girls and in 2007, Virginia passed the requirement for the vaccine. The previously introduced Bill had a requirement that the first dose had to be completed upon entering the sixth grade in the Virginia private or public school system, the vaccine was required for girls age 11 or older and parents had the ability to opt out, the vaccine would be added as part of the mandatory scheduled vaccination for 11 year old girls, and that the vaccine would be covered by insurance. The amendment to be passed will no longer require vaccination for Human Papilloma Virus. An additional revision is that with the removal of the requirement, there is no longer a need for parents or guardians to opt out of their child receiving vaccination. However, this will also remove the provision of educational services about the link between vaccination and prevention of cervical cancer that was required when the parents or guardians elected for their child to not receive vaccination for HPV.
So, what is the HPV vaccine? There are two HPV vaccines, Cervarix (made by GlaxoSmithKline) and Gardasil (made by Merck), which are licensed by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for prevention of certain strains of HPV infection. Both vaccines are made with very small parts of the human papilloma virus, which can cause the body to form immunity but cannot cause infection or treat existing HPV infections.
The vaccines have different adjuvants, which are the substances added to the vaccine to increase the body's immune response. While both of the vaccines are very effective against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause most cervical cancers, only Gardasil has been proven to protect against HPV types 6 and 11, which cause most genital warts in both females and males. Gardasil has also been tested and shown to protect against cancers of the vulva, vagina, and anus. The CDC states that Cervarix and Gardasil are licensed, safe, and effective for females ages 9 through 26 years, and recommends that all girls aged 11-12 years old receive the vaccination.
Gardasil has been tested and licensed as safe and effective for use in males ages 9 through 26, but the CDC did not add this vaccine to the recommended immunization schedule for males because studies suggest the best way to prevent the spread of HPV is to vaccinate as many females as possible. Both vaccines are given as shots and require 3 doses, the second dose given one to two months after the first, and the third dose given six months after the first dose. Both vaccines were tested in thousands of people around the world, and the studies showed no serious safety concerns. Common, mild adverse events reported during these studies include pain where the shot was given, fever, dizziness, and nausea. As with all vaccines, the CDC and FDA continue to monitor the safety of these vaccines very carefully.
