Acccording to a report released Friday, the Minnesota Department of Health recommends that the vaccine to help fight Human Papillomavirus (HPV) should not be made a mandatory school immunization requirement. At least not yet.
The findings will be submitted to the state legislature Friday.
The legislature asked for the six month study to determine if Junior High age girls should be required to have the vaccine in order to enroll in school.
The HPV is the fastest growing sexually transmitted disease in the nation and has been found to cause cervical cancer in women.
The Department of Health suggests that more time is needed for the public to become aware of the vaccine, accept it, and understand its limitations. Recommendations include continued cervical cancer screenings and more education about the virus and the vaccine.
(Copyright 2008 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
