HPV vaccine debate in California
As California Governor Jerry Brown considers whether or not to sign a bill that allows children aged 12 years and more to get vaccinated against STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) without the consent of their parents, the debate over child vaccinations is getting heated up in California.
Bill AB499, which was passed in California, is on the Governor's desk, and he can act on it till October 9. This bill permits minors aged 12 years and older to get prevention services for STDs without parental consent. Two vaccinations would come under the purview of such prevention services, which are approved to protect patients suffering from HPV, which is a virus that can give rise to cervical cancer. To decrease the risk of HIV infection after exposure, Hepatitis vaccinations and medication would also be offered.
Since HIV and AIDS are common in people as young as 14 years, this bill is touted as a reasonable lifesaving step by its supporters. These people believe that this bill will encourage public health. Since teenagers as young as 12 years have been able to give their consent to get STDs detected and treated for decades, this bill will just add a legal dimension to the process. The minimum age for availing the preventive services is kept at 12 to be in tune with the present law on treatment, and obey the federal recommendations that ask the shot to be administered close to teenagers aged 12 or more, to maximize success and ensure safety before exposure. However, debates and sentiments are raging high against the bill.
Opponents of the bill opine that STD prevention is best addressed when parents are involved and an abstinence-based education is used. They fear that without parental approval, children won't be able to use their knowledge and wisdom to make complicated medical decisions. What's more, the fear that state-aided health care coverage can be enforced upon these young citizens is also a cause of worry.
The high cost of the shot, which is over $300, and the need to take more than one injection over several months may also act as a deterrent. Opponents of the bills opine that even if the bill is signed into law, they don't expect a large number of 12-year-olds to take advantage of it.
A religious dimension to the bill has also cropped up where promoting Cervarix or Gardasil is seen as an endorsement of sexual promiscuity.
With such debates doing the rounds, and the deeply ethical and moral values, which have come to the forefront related to the sexual behavior of teens and this vaccine, only time will tell how the Californian Governor and the state's lawmakers react to it.
Bill AB499, which was passed in California, is on the Governor's desk, and he can act on it till October 9. This bill permits minors aged 12 years and older to get prevention services for STDs without parental consent. Two vaccinations would come under the purview of such prevention services, which are approved to protect patients suffering from HPV, which is a virus that can give rise to cervical cancer. To decrease the risk of HIV infection after exposure, Hepatitis vaccinations and medication would also be offered.
Since HIV and AIDS are common in people as young as 14 years, this bill is touted as a reasonable lifesaving step by its supporters. These people believe that this bill will encourage public health. Since teenagers as young as 12 years have been able to give their consent to get STDs detected and treated for decades, this bill will just add a legal dimension to the process. The minimum age for availing the preventive services is kept at 12 to be in tune with the present law on treatment, and obey the federal recommendations that ask the shot to be administered close to teenagers aged 12 or more, to maximize success and ensure safety before exposure. However, debates and sentiments are raging high against the bill.
Opponents of the bill opine that STD prevention is best addressed when parents are involved and an abstinence-based education is used. They fear that without parental approval, children won't be able to use their knowledge and wisdom to make complicated medical decisions. What's more, the fear that state-aided health care coverage can be enforced upon these young citizens is also a cause of worry.
The high cost of the shot, which is over $300, and the need to take more than one injection over several months may also act as a deterrent. Opponents of the bills opine that even if the bill is signed into law, they don't expect a large number of 12-year-olds to take advantage of it.
A religious dimension to the bill has also cropped up where promoting Cervarix or Gardasil is seen as an endorsement of sexual promiscuity.
With such debates doing the rounds, and the deeply ethical and moral values, which have come to the forefront related to the sexual behavior of teens and this vaccine, only time will tell how the Californian Governor and the state's lawmakers react to it.
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