Iowa Governor Signs Law Requiring Parental Consent for HPV and Hep B Vaccines

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a law requiring parental consent for minors to receive the HPV and Hep B vaccines. Senate File 304 rescinds the right of minors to consent to these vaccines without a parent's approval, bringing the regulations in line with all other vaccines that already require parental consent.

The new law comes after a heated debate in the House, where Democrats argued that the exemption was necessary to protect minors who may not be able to discuss their sexual health or abuse situations with their guardians. Critics of the old law claimed it enabled informed consent violations, particularly since Merck markets its HPV Gardasil vaccine for children as young as 9.

Ben Tapper, a chiropractor, said that Iowa made history by passing the new law, which represents 'a return to informed consent, parental authority and basic common sense.'