Beginning in 2009, all District of Columbia teenage females must receive a vaccination against the human papillomavirus before they can enter the sixth grade.
Following more than two hours of often emotional discussion that was interrupted more than once when protesters opposing the vaccination began shouting in the council chambers, the panel passed the bill 7-3 Thursday.
The bill, introduced in January by Council m=Member David Catania, I-at large, has split the District, as some parents and activists have said they do not feel there has not been enough testing to prove the effectiveness of the Merck-produced vaccine, Gardasil.
“Passions run deep in this situation and I understand that,” said Council Member Marion Barry, D-Ward 8.
The bill has a provision that allows parents to opt out of the vaccination and was amended by Catania to allow for a year long public information campaign about the vaccine throughout 2008.
“At the end of the day, what we aim to do is protect ourselves, protect our daughters and because of something we can prevent,” Council Member Mary Cheh, D-Ward 3, said.
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta approved the use of Gardasil in June for females under age 26. In most cases, HPV, a sexually transmitted disease, presents no symptoms and clears up on its own. But in rare cases it can lead to cervical cancer.
The HPV infection rate among District residents ranks among the highest in the country.
Approval of the bill came after failed attempts to amend it by Council Member Carol Schwartz, R-at large, that would have added a task force, and Council Member Jim Graham, D-Ward 2, that would have moved implementation of the vaccine to 2010 pending a ruling on its efficiency by the director of the D.C. Department of Health.
“I don’t think it’s safe to assume that the public anxiety can just be cured by a little information,” said Graham, who did not vote on the measure.
