Durham, NC — A vaccine that protects against a virulent cancer sounds like a great advance for public health, yet the use of the vaccine Gardasil, which protects against the cervical-cancer causing human papillomavirus (HPV), has met with resistance and controversy.
Should the government mandate its use to ensure the highest level of immunity within the population? Would a mandate to vaccine adolescent girls against a sexually transmitted disease violate parental rights?
Sanford School senior Zahra Remtulla became interested in the issues surrounding the use of the HPV vaccine in the United States while taking a class in Global Health Ethics taught by Associate Professor of Public Policy Kathryn Whetten.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of death for women worldwide, with those who do not have access to pap tests at higher risk.
Ismailimail 