No mandate on HPV vaccine for Shelter Island students

Shelter Island students face their own debate over immunizations, but at least for the moment, they’re not being required to show inoculations of the HPV vaccine.

The vaccine is said to protect people from the Human Papilloma virus, which can cause certain cancers. But there were strong objections from various sources against vaccinating students, one of which was the Southold Board of Education. They sent a letter to state legislators arguing that parents in the community were complaining, since HPV is transmitted via sexual contact and the proposed vaccine would typically be administered to children around age 11 or 12.

Students in Virginia, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. are already mandated to take the vaccine.

The Board of Education earlier this month adopted a policy adhering to state law that all students, in order to attend classes, must be vaccinated against a number of communicable diseases, but HPV was not on the list.

That requirement was implemented last September with a few parents seeking Board of Education support to fight the state mandate. Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D., said the district had no choice but to implement the requirement.

Then came word this year that another bill was introduced seeking to add the HPV vaccine, Gardasil9, to the list. 

Mr. Doelger said in speaking with other members of the New York State School District Superintendents, he was told the effort to mandate the HPV vaccine was going nowhere in view of the controversy that accompanied last year’s immunization bill.

But school officials are watchful, should there be any strong push to expand the immunization regulations in the state, the superintendent said.