“When do you have (kids) put their bike helmet on? Before they get on the bike or when they’re about to get into a wreck?”ĭr. “If you think about that argument as you think about other vaccines and prevention, you do preventive measures way before it’ll be an issue,” he said. Sean O’Leary, associate professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “They’ll see lots of families leave Illinois.”īut the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association and other professional medical groups say vaccines are safe, despite misinformation and myths.įor the HPV vaccine, specifically, some parents don’t understand that the vaccine is not only safe, but most effective when given early, even if that’s long before a child is sexually active, said Dr. “You have got state government, as a requirement of school attendance, mandating a liability-free product,” she said. And Giunta also cites a 1986 federal act that precludes litigation against drug companies for bad reactions to vaccines given in childhood, instead funneling claims into a fund that pays families. She said parents like her are worried about the ingredients in many vaccines, including the HPV series. Her 16-year-old daughter has received no vaccines and also has a medical exemption, which Giunta said would no longer qualify if the legislation passes. She eventually obtained a medical exemption for him to enter school, and stopped immunizations. Giunta said she believes her 20-year-old son’s reactions to vaccines in his infancy caused medical problems. Medical choice should be left up to parents and families, not the government, said Christina Giunta, a Naperville mom and senior legislative liaison for the Illinois Vaccine Awareness Coalition. Some vow to leave the state should the bills pass. They’re taking to social media and contacting Illinois legislators, voicing their complaints. “If this is part of the school requirement, we expect rates to go up to 80 or 90%, which is where they need to be.”īut a coalition of several parent groups whose members oppose some or all vaccines for a variety of reasons are opposed to both pieces of legislation. “This is the only vaccine that prevents cancer,” she said. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, sponsor of the bill. Requiring the first HPV shot to enter sixth grade, and completion of the series by high school, would improve rates throughout the state, said state Rep. In Illinois, about 66% of students ages 13 to 17 in 2017 had received at least the first shot in the HPV series, according to the most recent CDC data. The virus lies dormant in some, but in others can cause genital warts or six types of cancer: cervical, throat, penal, anal, vaginal and vulva, according to the CDC.ĭespite public education campaigns touting its cancer-preventing ability, the HPV series, which usually begins at age 11, has lower compliance rates compared with other vaccines, though the number is on the rise, according to the CDC. The vaccine - a series of two or three shots, depending on the age of the child - was introduced in 2006 and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can prevent about 90% of cancers caused by the human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease experts say nearly every sexually active adult has been exposed to. The department is backing the legislation as a way to increase vaccination rates across the state “and reduce the risk of severe illness among our most vulnerable populations.”Īnd in another bill introduced last week, the HPV vaccine would be added to the schedule of immunizations required by all Illinois schools. responded to the worst outbreak of measles in 25 years, largely due to pockets of unvaccinated people,” Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “Vaccination is the best way to protect children from numerous diseases that can cause severe illness and death.
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