RT Journal
A1 Berger LC, Blog D, Birkhead GS
T1 MAndatory hpv vaccination
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD January 18
VO 307
IS 3
SP 252
OP 255
DO 10.1001/jama.2011.2019
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2011.2019
AB 
We think, however, that it is important to clarify the author's statement that “research on the effectiveness of mandates is unavailable.”1 While specific evidence does not yet exist regarding the effectiveness of school mandates on HPV vaccination rates, it is clear that school mandates have uniformly increased state vaccination rates for other vaccines. In 1999, the Task Force on Community Preventive Services concluded, after a review of all available studies on the effectiveness of school-entry vaccination laws, that these laws are both effective at reducing disease rates and outbreaks as well as increasing overall vaccination coverage.2 An updated Task Force review in 2009 similarly demonstrated the effectiveness of vaccination mandates and, as a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently lists school mandates among the recommended interventions to increase vaccination rates.2 States that currently have school mandates for adolescent hepatitis B vaccine have rates almost twice that of states without such mandates.3 Most recently, the 2007 school mandate at the middle school level in New York state for the combined tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine was found to be associated with a greater than 2-fold increase in tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccination rates in 1 New York City cohort.4