LITTLE COMPTON — The Little Compton School Committee voted 3-2 at its last meeting to adopt a Coventry School Committee Resolution calling on the Governor and the the Rhode Island Department of Health to eliminate an "HPV vaccination mandate" as a …
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LITTLE COMPTON — The Little Compton School Committee voted 3-2 at its last meeting to adopt a Coventry School Committee Resolution calling on the Governor and the the Rhode Island Department of Health to eliminate an "HPV vaccination mandate" as a requirement to attend schools in Rhode Island.
The vote came on a motion by committee member Peg Bugara, that was seconded by Lori Craffey, who along with Chairman Tom Allder voted in favor of the action.
Opposing were committee members Polly Allen and Patrick McHugh.
Ms. Bugara said the HPV vaccination program was "mandated by the state" over a year ago, and that over 2,500 people had objected and had signed a petition.
"Parents are getting tired of having things mandated, especially when it comes to medical issues," Ms. Bugara said. "It should be up to the parents and the individuals, not be up to the state."
HPV stands for human papillomavirus. On its website, the state health department says it's "the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States," and "is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives."
The state health department website says, "In most cases, HPV goes away on its own and does not cause any health problems. But when HPV does not go away, it can be serious. The health problems it can cause include genital warts and cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and throat (including the base of the tongue and tonsils)."
The school committee agenda said the action item voted on was "to adopt the Coventry
Neither the Coventry resolution, or the Little Compton motion adopting it, refer to the Department of Health policy that students "can be exempted from required immunizations for either religious or medical reasons."
School nurse Jean Dunn, whose office has exemption forms if parents want them, said that so far her office "has had a couple of requests for exemptions."
Ms. Bugara said that "some people think there should be a philosophical basis for opposing" the vaccinations, that could give rise to an exemption, and she gave the example of an atheist who might oppose them.
Only Virginia and the District of Columbia also mandate the HPV vaccine as a condition for school entry.
School committee lawyer, Kevin J. McAllister, who was present at the meeting, characterized the committee action as "really an expression of an opinion."