HPV Vaccine Mandate Opponents Blast State at Press Conference

GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle

HPV Vaccine Mandate Opponents Blast State at Press Conference

Dozens of opponents to the state's new mandatory HPV vaccine policy for 7th grade Rhode island students rallied at the Cumberland Public Library on Monday to bring attention to the controversial issue, prior to a public hearing -- while the Rhode Island Department of Health has said it will be holding more public hearings on the issue. 

Dr. Christopher Black was just one opponent who spoke at the rally Monday organized by the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity, who is calling on HEALTH to end the mandate.
"One study indicated that the abnormal measure in other HPV strains increased [after the HPV vaccination]," said Black.  "What about fertiilty ten years down the road? This could be destroying our young women."

The Center released a one-page fact sheet at the rally, which included parent advocates from RIers Against Mandated HPV Vaccine, as well as a number of lawmakers.  The Center noted that Rhode Island is the only state currently imposing the mandated vaccine without approval through the legislative process, and that DOH received $20 million from the CDC in FY15, with $1.4 million earmarked for immunizations.  

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HEALTH Holding More Hearings

HEALTH announced Monday that "in a continued effort to reach parents regarding the state-mandated Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination, the Department of Health (RI DOH) has added two more community meetings."

Said HEALTH in a statement:

RI DOH has already held five community meetings throughout the state to educate the public about the HPV vaccine and regulations requiring students entering 7th grade this fall to have received at least one vaccination against the disease. The regulations took effect in July of 2014 following a public hearing in January of the same year.

Consistent with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Rhode Island Department of Health aims to prevent HPV-associated cancers through HPV vaccination”, said Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, Director of Health. “By incorporating HPV vaccination into our state’s school immunization regulations, we will be helping to prevent the serious, and sometimes fatal, health consequences of HPV, for generations of Rhode Islanders.”

The two additional meetings scheduled are at West Warwick High School on August 25 from 6:30-8:00 PM, and a tentatively scheduled meeting on August 27 at Middletown Public Library from 6 to 8 PM.
 


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