Actions Taken On HPV Proposals Legislation In Alaska, Indiana, Washington State

The following highlights recent state news related to human papillomavirus vaccines. Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine Cervarix in clinical trials have been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases. FDA in July 2006 approved Gardasil for sale and marketing to girls and women ages nine to 26, and CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices later that month voted unanimously to recommend that girls ages 11 and 12 receive the vaccine. CDC has added Gardasil to its Vaccines for Children Program, which provides no-cost immunizations to children ages nine to 18 covered by Medicaid, Alaska Native and American Indian children, and some uninsured and underinsured children (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 3/22). GSK last month announced that it has filed for FDA approval of Cervarix (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/5). Summaries appear below.

Alaska: The Department of Health and Social Services last week announced that by early summer it will distribute more than 20,000 doses of Gardasil to public and private health clinics in the state, the AP/Helena Independent Record reports (Quinn, AP/Helena Independent Record, 4/9). Nearly two-thirds of Alaska girls qualify to receive the vaccine at no cost, Laurel Wood, state immunization program manager said (Shinohara, Anchorage Daily News, 4/10). If all women and girls eligible to receive Gardasil at no cost through the Vaccines for Children program are vaccinated this year, the cost would total $16 million, Wood said, adding that it is unlikely all eligible females will be immunized. Wood estimates that the state program for the vaccine will cost about $5 million this year, which is enough to vaccinate more than 17,000 females (AP/Helena Independent Record, 4/9). Planned Parenthood of Alaska has been offering Gardasil at a cost of $480. Chris Simon, CEO of PPA, said the organization has vaccinated "a little under 50" people statewide (Anchorage Daily News, 4/10).














Indiana: The Senate on Monday voted 45-3 to approve an amended version of a bill (SB 327) that would require schools in the state to provide parents and guardians of girls entering the sixth grade information about Gardasil and the link between HPV and cervical cancer, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports. According to the Journal Gazette, the measure would require parents and guardians to submit a written statement that says whether the student has received the vaccine, is going to receive the vaccine or will not receive the vaccine, or if the parent chooses not to answer the question. Answers in the statements, which will not affect a student's ability to attend school, would be used by the State Department of Health to track Gardasil's effectiveness at preventing cervical cancer, the Journal Gazette reports. The bill now heads to Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) (Kelly, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, 4/17).

Washington: The House on Saturday voted 76-18 to approve an amended version of a bill (HB 1802) that would require all schools in the state to provide information about HPV and HPV vaccines but would not require private schools to distribute the information at school, the AP/Olympian reports (Byrd, AP/Olympian, 4/14). Under the original bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeannie Darneille (D), all public and private schools would have been required to give parents of children entering the sixth grade information on HPV, its symptoms and causes, and places where vaccines can be obtained (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 3/15). The amended version of the legislation, which passed the Senate, still requires public schools to provide parents with the information but only requires private schools to notify parents that the information is available to pick up. State lawmakers also included funding in the budget to add the HPV vaccine to the state's universal vaccine program, which would make it available to girls ages nine to 18 at almost no cost, the AP/Olympian reports. Parents and guardians only would have to pay the doctor visit fee, according to the AP/Olympian. The bill now heads to Gov. Chris Gregoire (D), who is expected to sign it into law, according to spokesperson Holly Armstrong (AP/Olympian, 4/14).

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View drug information on Cervarix [Human Papillomavirus Bivalent; Gardasil.