My friends at the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum inform of this petition opposing the HPV vaccine requirement for immigrant women and girls. Basically, immigrant females ages 11-26 who are seeking to adjust their status or apply for an immigrant visa are now required to get the HPV vaccine, a vaccination that's still new to the U.S. market and whose long-term efficacy rates have not yet been established.

Many groups, including NAPAWF, believe the HPV vaccine should not be required of immigrants because it isn't currently required of U.S. citizens in any jurisdiction, and it's one of the most expensive vaccines on the market, basically making the already huge financial burden that much harder for immigrant women and their families. Shouldn't immigrant women, like all women, have the right to weigh the risks and benefits involved with making a medical decision, such as the HPV vaccine, and make an informed decision for themselves?

NAPAWF recently spearheaded an organizational sign-on letter opposing the new mandate: National, state and international organizations sign-on to oppose the immigrant HPV vaccine requirement. They're trying to reach a goal of 1,000 individual signatures to send to the CDC to show public opposition to the mandate.

You can join in and help put pressure on the CDC by signing the petition here: Tell the CDC to Reverse the HPV Vaccination Mandate for Immigrants. You can also join the 1,000 Strong Against the Immigrant HPV Vaccine Requirement Facebook group.