The latest state to make a decision on whether or not to make Gardasil a required vaccination for public school students is New Mexico, and the answer is "no". The vaccine has been the center of controversy as various governments face the question of whether or not to add it to the standard list of immunizations.
Governor Bill Richardson stated that he would veto the measure, which would make the vaccine required for all female students entering the sixth grade unless their parents signed an opt-out waiver (as with other vaccines). Richardson did follow through on legislation requiring insurance companies to cover the vaccine, and the New Mexico Department of Health will be continuing the launch of a program making the vaccine available to New Mexico's girls at no cost.
Several other states are debating similar legislation, and most recently Texas was in the spotlight when Governor Rick Perry issued an executive order stating that girls over twelve were to have the shots administered. The US isn't alone in this, though. It's on the table in the UK, and in Australia where the vaccine was developed, it will be prescribed for women ages 12-26, and scaled back to 12-13 year olds thereafter. Incidentally, Gardasil has also been approved for males in Australia, though the government is not yet funding a vaccination program for boys and men.
