Controversial Issues
Catholic Theologian outlines moral concerns about HPV vaccine, gov’t mandation.
Catholic parents might wonder what the Church has to say about a new vaccine being promoted among girls and young women to protect against the human papillomavirus (HPV).
According to Catholic teaching, the use of Gardasil is not intrinsically evil, said moral theologian Msgr. Kevin T. McMahon. The priest serves as the archdiocese’s episcopal vicar for moral and religious matters related to health care and biotechnology.
However, this doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be any moral concerns about its use, said the priest.
“Before giving Gardasil to their da ughter, parents must consider both the immediate and long-range health benefits and risks associated with its use,” he said.
Because HPV is a sexually transmitted virus, parents also should explain to their daughters why she should receive the vaccine, Msgr. McMahon said. He cited examples such as the possibility of sexual assault or marrying someone who already is infected with the virus. “Ultimately, the concern is cervical cancer,” he said.
But parents also need to be careful not to send the wrong message about premarital sex, said the priest.
“They should stress the moral truth and their own expectation that she should abstain from sexual activity until marriage,” he said.
HPV also is not a public health issue because it cannot be contracted through casual interaction among people, said Msgr. McMahon. “Therefore, its use should not be mandated, even on an opt-out basis, by any government agency or school,” he said.
Mandating such a vaccin e “would undercut the authority of the parents to make this decision,” said Msgr. McMahon. “The state cannot and should not attempt usurp the parents’ rights in this regard.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted in 2006 to recommend that girls ages 11 and 12 receive the vaccine. Since the debut of Gardasil, numerous states also have considered mandating Gardasil for young girls.
In Missouri, HPV vaccination is being considered, but not as part of a mandated program. Just last week, the Senate passed a bill that would require the Department of Health and Senior Services to send age-appropriate information on the vaccine to parents of sixth-grade girls in public schools.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, is SB778.
Ultimately, the proposed legislation would leave the decision to parents as to whether their daughter should be vaccinated. Parents would be asked to voluntari ly furnish a written statement to the state that the information was received and whether or not their daughter was immunized.
If passed, the bill also would require the young woman to be immunized at public expense if her family is not able to afford it. The series of three shots retails for $360. A spokesman from Justice’s office noted that 160 clinics in the state currently are offering the vaccine for free.
The Missouri Catholic Conference, public policy arm of the state’s bishops, said that it supports the bill because the program is optional rather than mandatory.
The conference supports “legislation that provides information that allows parents and families to make informed decisions about childrens’ health,” according to MCC executive director Deacon Larry Weber.
In addressing HPV vaccination legislation, Weber said the conference referred to materials prepared by the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC).
The center, said Weber, does not support mandated universal immunization as well as immunization for communicable, behaviorally transmitted diseases such as HPV as a condition for admission to schools.
HPV vaccination is considered a morally acceptable method of protecting against the disease, according to the center; however, civil authorities need to leave it up to the parents as to whether their child should receive the immunization.
