Code Section

120336.  

(a) Pupils in the state are advised, as described in subdivision (b), to adhere to current immunization guidelines, as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians, regarding full human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization before admission or advancement to the eighth grade level of any private or public elementary or secondary school.

(b) Upon a pupil’s admission or advancement to the sixth grade level, the governing authority of any private or public elementary or secondary school shall submit to the pupil and their parent or guardian a notification containing a statement about the state’s public policy described in subdivision (a) and advising that the pupil adhere to current HPV immunization guidelines, as described in subdivision (a), before admission or advancement to the eighth grade level, in compliance with the notification requirements of Article 4 (commencing with Section 48980) of Chapter 6 of Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code.

(c) The notification sent pursuant to subdivision (b) shall also include a statement, as determined by the department, summarizing the recommended ages for the HPV vaccine and scientific rationale for vaccination at those ages, based on guidance issued by ACIP of the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The notification shall further state the following:

“HPV vaccination can prevent over 90 percent of cancers caused by HPV. HPV vaccines are very safe, and scientific research shows that the benefits of HPV vaccination far outweigh the potential risks.”

(d) This section does not apply to a pupil in a home-based private school.