Childhood vaccinations have been given for generations to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. A new vaccine that is given primarily to school girls to prevent cervical cancer decades later has moved public health into new territory and raised many questions. Some, such as the concern that the drug will promote sexual activity among young people, are fairly easy to answer: According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 60 percent of graduating high school seniors have had sex.

Others, such as how to ensure that all girls, regardless of their families’ economic status and health care knowledge, have access to the first vaccine that can prevent a cancer, are harder to answer. One solution, that half the states are considering, is to require the vaccination for school entrance. Before Maine lawmakers take this approach, they should ensure that other options aimed at the same outcome have been tried.

The federal government last year approved Gardasil, a drug made by Merck & Co. that prevents infections from two strains of the human papillomavirus which cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that girls and women age 11 to 26 get the vaccine. Studies on the drug’s effectiveness in males is ongoing. Many insurance companies and the state’s program for low-income families, MaineCare, are covering the vaccine.

According to the CDC, by age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired an HPV infection. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and the infection will clear up on its own.

In some cases, an HPV infection leads to cervical cancer, the second most common and third most fatal cancer among women worldwide. Each year, nearly 10,000 women contract cervical cancer in the United States and 3,700 die from the disease. About 15 women die of the disease in Maine each year.

Most women who develop cervical cancer have not had regular cervical cancer screening. Men can also help stop the spread of HPV by using condoms, which provide some protection from the virus. These are both areas where additional education could make a difference.

Education and tracking are the focus of legislation by Sen. Lisa Marrache, a Waterville Democrat. Her bill, LD 137, would promote public education and awareness of cervical cancer and the vaccine, while requiring that MaineCare provide the drug to qualified families. The bill would also require the state to track and report vaccination rates. This will enable the state to compare the Gardasil vaccination rate against that of required vaccines such as polio. It would also be helpful to track HPV infections and pap smear rates to know if an education campaign is helpful.

After this information has been collected, lawmakers will be better able to judge whether to mandate the vaccination.