The Iowa Legislature is considering a bill that would mandate minors gain parental approval before receiving immunizations to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
Critics contend the measure threatens the health of the state's teens, while supporters argue they're fighting for parental choice.
State law already requires parental consent for a majority of vaccines, but those for human papillomavirus and hepatitis B are exempt. Senate File 304 would add them to the list of treatments that require permission from a parent.
State Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, an internal medicine physician, said he believes the measure will put teens – who he says are already afraid to talk to their parents about sex – in an even more difficult position, and it would threaten their health.
"States that have policies that allow adolescents to consent to their own HPV vaccines have about a 10% higher HPV vaccination rate," said Baeth. "By deductive reasoning, if we do away with this provision, our HPV vaccination rates are gonna go down."
An Iowa House panel also advanced House File 2171 earlier this year, which would eliminate vaccine mandates for children entering elementary school – affecting immunizations for measles, polio, Hepatitis B, whooping cough, and others.
Proponents of the measures are concerned with government overreach and vaccine side effects.
Recent debate on Senate File 304 featured a group of protestors in the House gallery waving signs and taking pictures, an example of what Baeth called a small, but vocal minority of Iowans who oppose vaccines.
He said some politicians have to weigh the consequences of praising vaccines.
"Numerous Republican colleagues of mine who will tell me in private that they believe in the safety and efficacy of vaccines," said Baeth, "but they're too afraid that they're gonna get primaried in their election if they go against these bills."
Vaccines prevent roughly 4 million deaths annually, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Baeth claimed that pushback on vaccines is the primary reason for an uptick in measles and other diseases across the country right now.