All R.i. 7th-graders Now Must Get Vaccine That Prevents The Sexually Transmitted Disease

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Seventh-graders in all public and private schools in Rhode Island are now required to get the HPV vaccine. Starting this fall, seventh-graders who do not get the vaccine will not be allowed to attend school unless their parents seek an exemption for medical or religious reasons, the Providence Journal reported Tuesday. Tricia Washburn, chief of the office of immunization for the Rhode Island Department of Health, said the Centers for Disease Control found no safety concerns with the vaccine. “The bottom line is that HPV is the most sexually transmitted disease in the U.S.” she said.