New HPV Vaccination requirement for immigrants raises concerns

Federal immigration authorities now require immunization against human papillomavirus for female immigrants ages 11 to 26 who are seeking permanent residence.

The mandate by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services went into effect July 1, but advocacy groups were largely left in the dark about the new requirements, said Priscilla Huang, Reproductive Justice Project director and women's law fellow at the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum.

The vaccine cost tacks on about $375 to the status change fee of $1,410. It is also gender specific and the only vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease, leading some women's rights groups to believe the mandate is discriminatory.

The vaccine has been controversial since it was introduced to market two years ago. In February 2007, Gov. Rick Perry wanted to make the shot mandatory for all sixth-grade girls in Texas. The executive order was shot down.

Maria Elena Garcia-Upson, spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Services in Dallas, said the vaccines are in no way meant to deny or deter people from the application process.

She said Citizenship and Immigration Services is simply following recommendations given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is funding for the vaccine through the CDC's Vaccines for Children program, but adult women may find it harder to pay for the shots.

"I think the public would agree that people who are coming into this country to adjust their status, if they have a contagious disease, we don't want that disease to be spread around," Ms. Garcia-Upson said.

Ana Correa, executive director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, said the cost of the vaccine will be another barrier for women seeking legal status. She said that application fees for immigrants have recently risen.

"What we have noticed is that applying for citizenship decreases as the fees go up," she said. "I don't think it's a coincidence that they're pushing for a policy that would provide a burden on immigrants."

Members of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices confirmed that they recommend the vaccine for women, but the recommendation was not necessarily for a particular group.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is a CDC committee. Vaccine requirements are part of the Immigration and Nationality Act last amended by Congress in 1996, according to the CDC.

"ACIP makes vaccine recommendations based on scientific information using criteria such as burden of disease, efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness," said Dr. Dale Morse, the committee's chairman. "However, ACIP does not mandate the use of vaccines."

Nearly half of all sexually active men and women acquire HPV, according to the CDC. There are about 20 million Americans infected, and about 6.2 million people become newly infected yearly.