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Washington, DC -- Tuesday, Councilmembers David Catania (At Large) and Mary Cheh (Ward 3) introduced legislation to establish a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for females between the ages of 11 and 13 who attend school in the District of Columbia. It also establishes an HPV vaccination-reporting requirement so that the Department of Health can effectively manage the program. The legislation is based on the Centers for Disease Control's recommendation that the vaccination be administered to all girls in the 6th grade. The bill permits parents and guardians to opt out of the vaccination.
"With January being National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, now is the perfect time for the District to lead the nation in the fight against what is in essence a preventable disease." said Catania. "By protecting our children now, we will be saving lives later." Each year, an estimated 6 million people in the United States contract HPV. Of these 6 million, 14,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 3,900 women die each year from the disease. The District of Columbia has the highest rate of cervical cancer in the United States and nearly 92 percent of invasive cervical cancer diagnoses occur among minority women. Unfortunately, despite the proven link between HPV and cervical cancer, many women are unaware of what the virus is, how it can be prevented, or that 50 percent of sexually active adults will acquire it during their lifetimes. HPV cannot be cured once it is contracted. It frequently goes undiagnosed because it often causes no visible symptoms. It has been difficult to slow the spread of HPV because condoms are only 70 percent effective in preventing its transmission. Last year the Food and Drug Administration licensed Gardasil (manufactured by Merck), the first vaccine to prevent HPV. The vaccine is approved for females between the ages of 9 and 26 and protects against the 4 types of HPV that account for 70 percent of all HPV cases. "The development of an HPV vaccination is exciting particularly because District women are disproportionately affected by the virus," noted Catania. "Our legislation, while preserving the right of parents to deny their child the vaccine, is critical step towards eliminating this disease." View copy of Legislation |
