Lawmakers in the New York State Assembly proposed a law that would require schoolgirls to receive a vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes more than 99 percent of cervical cancer cases. A new vaccine, Gardasil, could prevent 70 percent of those cases. If the bill is passed into law, the state Department of Health would decide at what age to administer the vaccine. Federal officials advise giving Gardasil to sixth-grade girls, around age 11 or 12. State senators have not yet introduced the bill.

Long Islanders have mixed reactions to making the HPV vaccine a requirement by law. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. JoAnn Smith of Planned Parenthood says many oppose a state mandate because of that fact.

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