An Iowa Senate subcommittee advanced a bill this week that would require parental consent for minors to get a vaccine to prevent HPV. The shot helps protect against strains of the virus that can cause six types of cancer.
Senator Sandy Salmon, a Republican from Janesville, says parents should have a say over all their children’s vaccinations.
Salmon says, “I think that if a child has to have parental consent for all the other vaccines, that this one should be no exception.”
Several parents testified in support of the bill. Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, says she agrees with health care providers who spoke out against the legislation. She says the vaccine is safe and effective and the choice gives adolescents autonomy over their own bodies.
Petersen says, “We need to be doing all we can to help prevent cancer in Iowa and to support our medical community working to keep our children safe.”
The Centers for Disease Control recommends the HPV vaccine as a routine vaccination for 11- and 12-year-olds.
Iowa is one of just a few states that does not require parental consent to get the vaccine.
(Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)