LANSING -- Michigan girls entering the sixth grade next year would have to be vaccinated against cervical cancer under bills passed Wednesday by the state Senate, though, as with other vaccines required for schoolchildren, parents could choose to not have their daughters immunized.

The cervical cancer vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June for use in girls as young as 9, up to age 26, and has been hailed as a breakthrough in cancer prevention. It prevents infections from some strains of the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer.

"It is a huge step forward for young women in this state," Sen. Beverly Hammerstrom, a Temperance Republican and the legislation's main sponsor, said after Wednesday's vote.

Some national conservative groups have expressed concern that schools would make the vaccine a requirement for enrollment. They have argued that requiring the vaccine would infringe on parents' rights and send a message that underage sex is OK.

The three-shot vaccination costs $360. Hammerstrom says most employer health plans in Michigan will cover the vaccine, and uninsured girls could be covered through the federal government's Vaccines for Children program.

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