Michigan -- under proposed legislation, girls entering sixth grade must be vaccinated against cervical cancer

Under legislation proposed by a bipartisan group of female lawmakers, females entering the sixth grade in Michigan would have be vaccinated against cervical cancer
SeattlePI.com --

Senator Beverly Hammerstrom, lead sponsor of legislation, said, "we believe we can save the lives of these girls." Referring to a vaccine for Human papilloma viruses (HPV) that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June. The three shot treatment which cost $360 will be covered by most of Michigan employers while those who are uninsured will be covered by the federal government's vaccination for children program, according to Hammerstrom.

The vaccine protects against two types of viruses that can cause cervical cancer remains highly effective for up to 4.5 years with very few adverse effects, according to the National Cancer Institute

" More than 98 percent of the women who had been vaccinated continued to have antibodies against HPV-16 and HPV-18 in their blood throughout the extended follow-up period - a strong sign that the vaccine remained effective and was preventing them from becoming infected with those strains of HPV. "

The bill has a provision allowing parents to opt out of the HPV vaccine requirement for medical, moral or psychological reasons.