To help prevent human papillomavirus infection, which can lead to cervical cancer, Council Member David Catania, I-at large, is proposing legislation to vaccinate every female in the District under age 13.
The bill also would provide the District with a reporting system for the virus, which is sexually transmitted, and allow parents to opt out of the vaccination program if they choose to do so.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that as many as 20 million people are currently infected with HPV and that by age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have become infected. The HPV infection rate among District residents is one of the highest in the country.
A person infected with HPV is often asymptomatic. In most cases, the virus clears up on its own. In rare cases, it can lead to abnormal cell changes in some men and women, most frequently in the form of cervical cancer in females.
Catania, who chairs the District’s health committee, said that as high as 92 percent of cervical cancer cases in the District are among minority women.
The Federal Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine in June that covers the four most prevalent types of HPV, including those that lead to cervical cancer. That approval has led to controversy in some jurisdictions over ethical questions regarding the vaccination of teenage girls. Critics have said they fear the vaccination could lead to promiscuity or encourage girls to become sexually active at younger ages.
“There should be nothing controversial about it,” Catania said after Tuesday’s meeting. “It’s a straightforward public health matter.”
