MOUNT VERNON — Proposed legislation in the Ohio House of Representatives would require all female students entering the sixth grade to be vaccinated to protect them from a virus that causes cervical cancer.
In December, Rep. Edna Brown, D-Toledo, introduced House Bill 703 which, if passed, would make Ohio the second state in the nation — Michigan is the first — to require girls 11 and 12 years old to be vaccinated with the FDA-approved Gardasil vaccine that protects against the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes 70 percent of cervical cancers. The vaccine was approved in June.
The Centers for Disease Control recently issued a recommendation that the vaccine be given to girls, stating that ages 11 to 12 is the age before most sexual activity occurs and when the immune response is greater.
In a News interview in December, Husain Rasheed, M.D., a Columbus-based oncologist who sees patients at Knox Community Hospital’s cancer clinic, said cancer vaccines are under study in clinical trials and explained that the vaccines work by priming the immune system to look for viruses and eliminate them.
Regarding Gardasil, Rasheed said, “The information we have is that it is 100 percent effective to prevent pre-cancer changes in the cervix” caused by HPV that eventually lead to cancer.
The Gardasil clinical trial is four years old and, cautioned Rasheed, cervical cancer can take a long time to develop.
The clinical trial’s goal, he added, is that someday women all over the world will be vaccinated against cervical cancer. He said the cost of the vaccine will be an issue, especially in developing countries where cervical cancer is more common than in the United States.
In this country, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with 6.2 million Americans becoming infected each year. The CDC reports that half of all sexually active men and women become infected at some time in their lives. HPV eventually leads to cervical cancer in women. Nearly 10,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 3,700 deaths from the disease occur in this country annually. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women and causes more 470,000 new cases and 233,000 deaths each year.
There are many types of HPV. Gardasil is effective against types 16 and 18, which cause 70 percent of cervical cancers, and types 6 and 11, which cause 90 percent of genital warts. Gardasil does not protect women and girls who have already been infected with HPV. The vaccine is given in three doses over a six-month period.
“For the first time,” said Brown, “we have a vaccine for cancer. I believe we have a responsibility to make sure girls are vaccinated against cervical cancer, just as we already make sure they are protected against the mumps and chicken pox.”
New Hampshire offers Gardasil free to girls age 11 to 18, Australia includes Gardasil in its national youth vaccination program and California is deliberating its own version of Gardasil legislation.
“The reason I became involved,” said Brown, “is that I attended a Women In Government conference last fall and this was the subject of discussion. I got quite excited to learn there was a vaccine for girls. I couldn’t wait to get back to Columbus and have my aide do some research.”
Brown’s bill was not enacted last week during the final days of the 2006 126th General Assembly.
But when the General Assembly reconvenes this month, Brown said, “I’m going to reintroduce this bill and push very, very hard to get it passed. It’s a good bill. I can’t see why any of my fellow legislators would not agree with it.”
H.B. 703 includes the option for parents to opt out for religious, medical or philosophical reasons.
Said Brown, “It has a very liberal opt-out provision. I’m sure I will get flack, but I don’t think it will be overwhelming once they realize the value of the vaccination.”
She is concerned that girls may misunderstand the vaccine’s use.
“But will these girls think this protects them from becoming pregnant? It absolutely does not. I will need to make that very clear.”
Brown said she expects controversy.
“The one itsy-bitsy thing I am worried about is that parents will misunderstand what I’m doing,” she said. “I think parents know deep down that I’m not encouraging girls to be sexually active, but I do know the bill does seem to encourage that. But this is a vaccine against a dreadful disease. This is a concrete step we can take to save lives. Here in Ohio, we should lead by example when it comes to preventative health care for women.”
Although the FDA reports that Gardasil has been tested for safety in 11,000 women, safety studies continue regarding its long-term effects, protection for males who carry and transmit HPV but do not get cancer from the virus, results on pregnant women and whether a life-long immunity is possible. Gardasil is manufactured by Merck & Co. Inc.