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New California Bill Requires Additional Vaccine for 8th-Grade Youth
California Bill AB659 Would Require HPV Vaccination in Children Before 8th Grade. How Affective is the HPV Vaccine?
A new law may be passed in California requiring children ages 11 to 13 to be vaccinated against a prevalent sexually transmitted disease that can cause a high risk of cancer later in life.
Existing laws already require documentation of certain vaccinations for diseases deemed appropriate by the State Department of Health for children entering school. Under the Cancer Prevention Act, first introduced in February, full immunization against human papillomavirus (HPV) would be required at the 8th-grade level of public and private schools. A state-mandated local program would be imposed, with local governing authorities notifying the public and parent guardians through a statement regarding the new policy for students entering 6th grade.
HPV is the most common infectious sexually transmitted disease in the United States and is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, according to the National Cancer Institute. Nearly all people will become infected with HPV within months to years of becoming sexually active. The HPV vaccine prevents most cancers caused by various types of infections. Ranging from…
