Minors would no longer be able to get vaccines that prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STD) without a parent’s permission under a bill that’s on its way to the governor’s desk.
Current law allows minors to seek medical care for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of STDs. The bill (SF 304) would exclude vaccines, removing minors’ ability to get HPV and hepatitis B vaccines without a parent’s consent.
Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, said this is a “pro-cancer” bill. The HPV and hepatitis B vaccines prevent some types of cancer.
“We have, with these vaccines, a way to save people’s lives,” Baeth said. “In a state with the fastest-rising cancer rates, the second highest cancer rate overall, we should be doing more to prevent cancer, not less.”
Rep. Austin Harris, R-Moulton, said the bill ensures parents can provide consent for their child to receive these vaccines, similar to all other vaccines.
“No one is questioning the efficacy of the vaccine … It’s effective, I agree with that. Put it on the record, put it in the journal, I don’t care,” Moulton said. “But if it’s so great, then it should be pretty easy to convince the parent to do this for the child.”