"Unfortunately, this change to state law will reduce access to proven cancer prevention tools and move us in the wrong direction."
— Jackie Cale, Iowa government relations director of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
Driving the news: Gov. Kim Reynolds yesterday signed a bill that requires parental consent for minors to receive vaccines associated with sexually transmitted diseases, including human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B.
What they're saying: Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the country, and adding restrictions will reduce access to vaccines that work, ACS CAN said in a statement early yesterday, urging Reynolds to veto the bill.
The other side:The bill's advocates say the move subjects the vaccines to the same requirements as others in Iowa.
The big picture: Most states do not broadly allow minors to consent to vaccination on their own, according to a state tracker from Teens for Vaccines, an advocacy group based in California.
