Governor Raimondo & Rhode Island State Legislators:

Rhode Island parents should retain the right to make their own decisions specifically regarding the HPV vaccine and HPV vaccines should not be mandatory vaccinations to enter a public or private school in RI.

RI citizens should be fully informed of vaccines being considered for mandate by attaching to a child's education. Citizens should have the ability to voice concerns or supports about such a decision, and this should be well in advance to any decision being decided upon.

I write to you in support of reversing the HPV vaccine mandate in RI. HPV can not be transmitted by casual contact in a classroom. This is not a public health threat, and should be a private decision between parent, child, and doctor only. I urge you to respect and uphold the parental rights of the citizens of RI. Decisions like this mandate should not be done without public knowledge. A vaccine is a medical procedure and should be treated as such, with proper informed consent. Vaccines do not go through the same safety standards of any other pharmaceutical drug, and that should be well stated to all patients and citizens. Informed consent is negated when a vaccine is mandated.

We feel the RI Dept of Health should not have the sole authority to make the mandates and that they should be recommended by the Dept of Health to the General Assembly and be voted upon by the people the citizens have elected into office.

I respectfully request you to support reversing the mandate for the HPV vaccine in RI school systems.