According to Alexandra Stewart in Public Health Reports, “At the state level, the legal authority to require immunization rest on states’ 10th Amendment “police powers,” which can be used to effectively convert public health recommendations into legally enforceable obligations” (801). Even though parents may not want to have their children vaccinated, they may be required to because the government does have the power to mandate vaccines. It would be legal to mandate the human papillomavirus vaccine because “Courts repeatedly have affirmed a state’s right to develop measures that “protect the health and safety” of its citizens and the constitutionality of school entry requirements” (Stewart 801). Mandating the vaccine for 11-12 year old girls would also make it required for entry into the sixth grade. Even if schools do require the vaccine for girls to enter school, parents will still have a way to legally opt out of the required vaccine. “Any implementation of a compulsory human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program should follow legal precedents that include the right of states to allow exceptions for individuals with medical, religious, and philosophical objections” (Balog 616). Even though the vaccine would be required under the law, there are still ways to opt out of the vaccination, which will be welcomed by many …show more content…
According to Javitt et al., “In recent years, state health departments have found themselves increasingly strapped by the rising number of mandated vaccines. Some states that once provided free vaccines to all children have abandoned the practice due to rising costs” (392). Adding the human papillomavirus vaccine to the standard pediatric schedule may push may state health departments and make them also stop offering free vaccinations. Another adverse effect that could happen is that the state may need to divert funding from elsewhere in order to pay for vaccines. Private physicians also suffer from mandatory vaccinations because they must pay for the vaccines themselves and then wait for the reimbursement from private insurers or the government. “[P]hysicians have argued that the rising costs of vaccines and the rising number of new mandatory vaccines makes it increasingly difficult for them to purchase vaccinations initially and that they net a loss due to insufficient reimbursement from insurers” (Javitt et al. 392-393). This is causing many private physicians to disagree with the proposal to make the human papillomavirus vaccine compulsory because of the financial burden that is forced upon