NEW YORK, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- At least 20 states are considering mandatory human papilloma virus vaccinations, but a backlash is developing against the trend, The New York Times reported.
The HPV vaccine protects young girls from the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. An estimated 20 million Americans are infected with HPV, including an estimated 25 percent of 15- to 24-year-olds.
Critics say the choice of vaccinating against HPV should be up to parents, and complained this month when Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued an executive order to require girls in the state to receive the vaccine before entering sixth grade. The order allows parents to opt out for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs.
The negative reaction has some health experts worried that proponents of the vaccine, including its maker, Merck, have pushed too far too fast -- and that one consequence could be an undermining of prospects for the broadest possible immunization, the newspaper said.
