2 Council Members Urge Repeal of Law

D.C. Council members Yvette M. Alexander and Muriel Bowser say they want to repeal the controversial law that would require girls entering the sixth grade to be immunized against a virus that can cause cervical cancer unless their parents or guardians object.

The legislation approving the use of the vaccine that fights the human papillomavirus, or HPV, was heavily debated and approved in a 7 to 3 vote in April -- a month before Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Bowser (D-Ward 4) won their respective special elections and took office.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) signed the measure, which calls for the immunizations to be given by fall 2009.

Alexander said she fears that parents may not be properly informed about the vaccine, its effects and the chance to opt out.

Both council members say they are not convinced that the city should be involved in requiring young girls to be vaccinated with a drug that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a little over a year ago.

"People are saying it's a wonder drug. Based on what?" Bowser asked.

Alexander said, "I think certain things government should be left out of."

But with Alexander and Bowser now on the council, there could be five votes against the law and enough momentum to overturn it, because many council members had wavered initially.

"There are two more voices in the chorus now," Bowser said.

Council members Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large), Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) and Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) dissented in April. There could be a sixth vote in member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who abstained. "I really appreciated their point of view. It really impacted me in terms of not being able to say yes," Graham said.

The bill passed after it was amended to delay the required vaccinations by a year and a provision was added that mandated an education campaign and study.

Repealing the law, however, may require that a proposal to go to the health committee headed by David A. Catania (I-At Large), who co-sponsored the bill.

Catania and Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), the other co-sponsor, said they object to any effort to repeal the law. Catania pointed to the year-long delay and the education campaign as addressing their concerns. "In this upcoming year's budget, we have funded a very public awareness campaign," he said.

Cheh said that Alexander and Bowser need to do more research. "When they do, they'll see that the council's vote was the right one," she said.