No Religious Exemption For Vaccines, HPV Shot Required: New Bills

ILLINOIS — Two new bills under consideration in Illinois would strip parents of the ability to claim religious exemptions to refuse vaccinations for their children, as well as limit medical exemptions and add the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to the list of vaccinations required by Illinois schools.

The measures would also allow children as young as age 14 to get a vaccination without parents' consent.

State Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, is the main sponsor of Senate Bill 3668, which would amend the school code to remove language allowing parents to exempt their children from medical examinations and vaccination on religious grounds. Minors age 14 and older would have the right to receive immunizations without the consent of a parent or guardian.

The bill means failing to vaccinate children could be considered parental neglect. The proposal "removes language providing that a child shall not be considered neglected or abused for the sole reason that specified persons failed to vaccinate, delayed vaccination, or refused vaccination for the child due to a waiver on religious grounds."

A second piece of legislation sponsored by state Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, would require students entering sixth grade to be vaccinated for HPV, requiring a series of two or three shots depending on the child's age. The legislation would require confirmation that a student has received the vaccinations by the time they start ninth grade. The rule would apply to all students whether they attend public or private school or are homeschooled.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States and can cause cervical cancer and other cancers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.