A new bill would make it mandatory for public school students in Florida to get the HPV vaccine.
The “Women’s Cancer Prevention Act” would require all 11- and 12-year-old students, both boys and girls, in Florida’s public schools to receive the vaccination for human papillomavirus, or HPV.
HPV is a common virus that infects about one in every four people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While most HPV infections go away on their own, it can potentially lead to several types of cancer.
The CDC says that HPV causes nearly 31,000 cancers each year in the U.S. but says the vaccine can prevent about 28,000 from occurring.
Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington, D.C. have already passed similar mandates, according to Fox 13.
The bill was introduced by Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez. If passed, it would take effect on July 1.