In April, the Washington, D.C., City Council voted 7-3 to require sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection. Now two council members, who won special elections and took office a month after the vote, want to repeal the law and give the responsibility of vaccines back to parents.
Yvette M. Alexander and Muriel Bowser say they are not convinced that the city should be involved in requiring young girls to be vaccinated with a drug that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a little over a year ago, the Washington Post reports.
"People are saying it's a wonder drug. Based on what?" Bowser asked.
Alexander said, "I think certain things government should be left out of."
With Alexander and Bowser on the council, there could be five votes against the law and enough momentum to overturn it, the Post reports.
Focus on the Family Action supports widespread availability of the vaccine, but holds that parents should make the decision of whether their daughters are vaccinated.
