Kentuckians split over mandatory HPV shots

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nearly half of Kentuckians said they oppose requiring middle school girls to be vaccinated against a virus that causes cervical cancer, a new poll has found.

The poll, conducted by The Courier-Journal newspaper of Louisville, found that 47 percent oppose a mandatory vaccination, while another 38 percent favor it and 15 percent were undecided.

State legislators are considering a bill that would require public and private middle school girls to receive three shots of the vaccine known as Gardasil. The legislation would let parents opt out by completing a form.

Gardasil protects against strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases. The virus is spread through sexual contact.

The poll, conducted between Feb. 8-14, surveyed responses by phone from 801 Kentucky adults. It has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Proponents of mandatory vaccination in Kentucky say it would save lives and reduce suffering in a state with the second-highest cervical cancer death rate in the nation. Cervical cancer kills nearly 4,000 women nationally every year.

“If you can prevent cancer — and that’s what this does — then why not?” asked poll respondent Thomas “Ken” Bolton, 74, of Louisville. “It just makes sense to me. It’s a no-brainer.”

Opponents say requiring the vaccination would strip parental rights and give girls implicit permission to have sex. Some also express concerns about the long-term safety of Gardasil, which was approved by the federal government last June for girls and women ages 9-26.

Marie Mazzotta, a poll responder and the mother of an 11-year-old girl, said she has concerns because the treatment is new.

“It’s a new vaccine,” said Mazzotta, a 41-year-old stay-at-home mother from Louisville. “I’m not going to play around with my child’s health.”

The poll showed that among certain demographic groups — such as blacks and Jefferson County residents — more people favor than oppose requiring the vaccine.

Women were more likely than men to favor it, although more oppose than favor it in both gender groups.

People 18-34 were also more likely to support mandatory vaccination than people 35 and older.

Respondents were also asked whether they believe vaccinating middle school girls would make them more likely to have sex earlier or not make much difference.

Almost three-quarters — 73 percent — said it wouldn’t make much difference, although that number was slightly lower — 67 percent — for respondents who attend religious services weekly or almost every week.

The bill has undergone changes since the poll questions were written. The latest version, House Bill 345, includes an easier way to opt out than the original version.

Dr. Diane D. Davey of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Kentucky said that including information about opting out in the survey questions might have brought different poll results.

(Associated Press)