One Less?

(dvmMoms.com) -- Wiping out cervical cancer with just three shots. That's what some say the HPV vaccine could do in the future.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) can lead to cervical cancer and even genital warts in young women. Several states have considered making this vaccine mandatory for sixth grade girls across the country. It's an issue that is generating debate in doctor's offices and beyond.

"We already are asking our children to get more than 50 doses of vaccines by age twelve!" says the National Vaccine Information Center's Barbara Loe Fisher.

If you have a daughter, there maybe one more vaccine on the list.

Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have introduced legislation requiring girls, as young as eleven, to get the vaccine that could prevent the Human Papillomavirus.

"As a mother you kind of want to wrap your child in bubble wrap and just protect them from anything you can." Janet Riessman says protecting her daughter, Sage, from the virus which can cause cervical cancer was an easy decision. "For me it was all prevention."

But some parents and even healthcare advocates have questions about safety. Barbara Loe Fisher tells dvmMoms.com, "It was only studied on less than 1,200 girls under the age of 16."

This HPV vaccine has been on the market for little over a year. There have already been more than 4,000 reported adverse reactions and at least three people have died. The FDA and the CDC say these numbers may not tell the full story. And they claim most reactions have been minor.

"The 4,000 adverse events that have been reported could be just the tip of the iceberg," says Loe Fisher. She says half of those reactions were serious enough to send girls to the emergency room. She's concerned about making the HPV vaccine mandatory.

A group of Bowie pediatricians have the vaccine available, but differ who should get it and why. And then there's the issue of sex.

Pediatrician, Dr. Jeannine Clark tells dvmMoms.com, "Kids do experiment. I think it's going to be very important to get them covered."

But her colleague, Dr. Brenda Pettus-Bellamy, says, "If they're not exhibiting that behavior, do they need the vaccine? Parents need to set the bar...we need to talk more about abstinence as an option."

Janet Riessman knows her daughter can only be exposed to the virus through sex. She has no plans to talk about that yet. But her daughter, Sage, does know one thing. "It's preventing some type of cancer my mom told me. So, I guess that's good. I won't get that type of cancer now."

Her mother made an informed decision. That's about the only thing most can agree on in this debate. Ultimately, parents have to determine whether being one less is the right thing, right now.