For Erica Cole, it was an easy option to opt out of the required human papillomavirus
(HPV) vaccine for her 10-year-old daughter.
“It hasn’t been out long enough,” Cole said as she routinely stands and waits outside for her daughter after school.
More parents agreed that their children would not be getting this vaccination, mostly because their daughters were not sexually active at their young age.
Sixth grade girls entering D.C. public and private schools are required to either get a vaccination that consists of three parts or sign an opt out form. The vaccination is designed to protect young girls from HPV, which could possibly cause genital warts and even cervical cancer in the future.
The vaccine is advertised as Gardasil and is manufactured by Merck Pharmaceutical Co., who promotes the vaccination as protection against cervical cancer.
“It is the wrong approach; it sends a false message to the girls,” said Richard Urban, cofounder of ULTRA Teen Choice, a group that promotes abstinence. “Young girls should simply abstain from sex.”
According to Urban, his solution is not giving out condoms or even administering the vaccination, but the principle of abstinence and the parent involvement and accountability. He stressed being faithful in monogamous relationships.
His organization gears towards educating the youth on abstinence before marriage, peer counseling and how to deal with peer pressure, and also accountability. They work and volunteer with after school programs, churches and non-profits.
D.C. council members voted for the vaccination; the bill was cosponsored by David Catania and Mary Cheh.
Urban and his organization have been banned from D.C. public schools. They are still promoting their mission.
There is now a pending class action lawsuit. There have been 42 deaths as of June 16 of this year and a number of cases of paralysis. Many people and parents are against the requirement for HPV in D.C. schools.
“I am not comfortable; it is too new and needs more study,” said Janet Myers, the mother of a sixth grade girl.
Some parents are having their children vaccinated without enough “scrutiny” of its effects.
There is the option to opt out, but some students may still receive the vaccination because parents are unaware or uneducated.
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