Most people are against requiring schoolgirls to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer, according to a national survey conducted by a university in Pennsylvania.
The vaccine, Gardasil, protects against the human papillomavirus, known as HPV. It was approved by the federal government in 2006.
At least 41 states have introduced legislation that would require the vaccine for girls or would fund vaccinations or education programs, said the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communications, which conducted the survey.
Texas received national attention this year when it required schoolgirls to get vaccinations.
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Ed Rendell has said he wants to evaluate the drug’s effectiveness, safety and public acceptance before deciding if it should be required.
Nearly half of the participants in the Annenberg survey opposed mandatory vaccinations. About 16 percent supported it, and about 35 percent were neutral.
A majority of respondents supported the concept of doctors recommending the vaccine to eligible people, that the government should pay for the vaccine for people with no insurance, and that health insurers should be required to cover vaccinations.
HPV, which is spread through sexual contact, is considered the main cause of cervical cancer, which about strikes about 10,000 women annually in the U.S.
A panel of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the vaccine for girls who are 11 and 12 and catch-up vaccinations for women up to age 26.
