Eliminating poverty, ending cancer, brokering world peace—everyone’s had a daydream or two involving these noble goals, but let’s face it: they’re not too likely. Thanks to the development of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, however, which targets certain strains of the sexually transmitted infections causing cervical cancer in women, the goal of ending cancer looks just a little more doable. Last week, David A. Catania (I-At Large) and Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) introduced a bill that would require the vaccine for all girls entering sixth grade in the District. This proposal must be enacted if the city takes the health of its residents seriously.
Cervical cancer kills 3700 women a year, and the District has an HPV infection rate of 13.5 women per 100,000, compared to the national average of 8.8, according to the National Cancer Society. The vaccines, administered through a three shot series, cost an average of $360, but children living below the poverty line have theirs paid for through the program Vaccines for Children.
The vaccine is most effective for women who are not yet sexually active, which is why the Council’s proposal targets girls who have not yet entered middle school. Some groups have raised the objection that this frank acknowledgement of sexuality will encourage promiscuity, but kids of 11 and 12 are learning about STI’s and condoms already—in sexual education class. They need to know what HPV is and how to prevent it.
Critics of the plan also say that the long-term consequences of the vaccine are not known.
Indeed, mandating such a medical practice for a large population is ethically a bit sticky. But according to Madison Powers, Director of Georgetown’s Kennedy Center of Ethics, this concern is overcome when the vaccine benefits others in addition to the patient and there is a favorable risk-benefit ratio (i.e. very few known side effects). The vaccine fulfills these requirements. Though long-term risks are unknown, studies have shown no immediate risks. The benefits are substantial—not only will it immunize an individual woman from catching the virus, but will also help stem its spread.
It’s not just middle school girls who should receive the shot. It is licensed for women between the ages of 9 and 24, and although it’s not ideal, the shots can be administered even after a woman has become sexually active. Georgetown’s Student Health Center began offering the vaccine in November, and the University should make its campaign to publicize the shot a priority.
Though curing cancer is not going to happen anytime soon, the D.C Council has an opportunity to reduce the incidence of cancer for an entire generation of women. Council members who care about their constituents must vote in favor of requiring the HPV vaccine for sixth-grade girls.
