Wisconsin will join 26 other states currently looking at legislation to require a vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus. Texas became the first state to require that school-aged girls be vaccinated against the virus Feb. 2.
Wisconsin's bill, proposed by state Senators Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, and Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie, would require girls entering sixth grade to receive a Gardasil vaccine to prevent HPV, a pre-cursor to cervical cancer.
""We have an opportunity to eliminate a cancer for the next generation of women. That is historic. I think our daughters of Wisconsin are worth it,"" Taylor said.
This proposal coincides with the FDA's approval of Gardasil and the Center for Disease Control's recommendations to provide the vaccination for girls ages 9-26, primarily targeting ages 11-12.
Gardasil not only prevents cervical cancer, but also prevents the damaging procedural treatments of pre-cancerous cells on the cervix, according to UW-Madison obstetrician and gynecologist Kim Mackey.
Wisconsin's Family Planning Health Services quality assurance coordinator Chris Hanke said: ""HPV is a virus that can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. The vaccine protects against four strands of the virus.""
""In order for the vaccine to be most effective, it needs to be given pre-exposure to sexual activity, which is generally between the ages of 9-11,"" Mackey said.
The vaccination is covered by most major insurance companies, including medical assistance and BadgerCare, Hanke said.
While Taylor said her bill has bipartisan support, one opponent, state Sen. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, said the this bill allows government to overstep its boundaries.
""The issue of mandated or forced immunization should be the decision of the parents and not government mandated on 11 or 12-year-old children,"" she said.
Lazich also said she opposes the bill because ""it provides a false sense of security that if you have this vaccine it protects you against sexually transmitted diseases, and that is not the case.""
Taylor said the legislation provides the opportunity for parents to opt out of the vaccination for religious, medical or personal reasons.
Opponents of the bill also argue that the potential negative side effects of the vaccine are not foreseeable at this time, and more studies should be done.
""This is an FDA study that's been going on for 10 years. Granted nothing is 100 percent and there are side effects for everything, but I don't think it's too soon,"" Taylor said. ""I do believe that eliminating cancer is an awesome concept, and I'm looking forward to this leading us in the direction of eliminating breast cancer and ovarian cancer.""
