More states introduce HPV mandate bills

A "wave of support" is how today's Washington Post describes the growing number of states in which bills to mandate HPV vaccination have been introduced in recent weeks. This story notes developments in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, with many comments from politicians and physicians supporting the actions but nary a quote from opponents of the bills.

On Wednesday, a Washington Post columnist offered a very critical take on the D.C. measure and his views of the assumptions underlying the need for such a law in the city. Also of note is this counterpoint to the Post columnist's views in today's Washington Times, strongly supporting the proposed mandate.

Elsewhere, this story in Wednesday's Houston Chronicle discusses the debate likely to occur now that similar bills have been filed in both of Texas' state houses.

We're not generally in the business of forecasting the future, but it seems very likely that this momentum will lead to the passage of HPV vaccination mandates in at least some states in 2007. The fact that the exemptions (for medical, religious, and philosophical reasons) already available for other vaccine mandates are all but certain to apply to HPV requirements will likely play a significant role in how politicians react to the concerns of opponents of these bills. As a result, policy discussions of HPV mandates will be able to avoid entirely the difficult ethical questions raised by the exemption policies themselves, or, for that matter, the overall principle of mandating vaccination.