A 12-year-old immigration law boils down vaccine requirements for green-card applicants to an issue of semantics. Accordingly, vaccines merely recommended for the general population are required by citizen applicants. Usually, that's not a problem. Most of the 16 vaccines required by the U.S. government ward off contagious diseases.

Gardasil, in addition to helping prevent cervical cancer, is for young women who are going to be sexually active. For the vast majority, that's going to be the case. But U.S. officials recommend the three-dose vaccine be given to girls starting at age 11, which has made many parents nervous. Even the 41 states that introduced legislation to "require, fund and educate" families about the vaccine (only 19 states have passed legislation) would allow people to opt out of the vaccine on moral, religious or medical grounds.

The hefty cost of the vaccine — $120 per dose, not counting additional doctor office fees — is also troublesome. For immigrants without health insurance, that is out-of-pocket money. Because the medical guidelines stipulate that the vaccine should be given to female applicants ages 11 to 26, the whole series cost of $360 is a heavy price to pay, especially if a family has more than one daughter.

The Migration Policy Institute, a non-profit group that studies the migration of populations, reports that U.S. naturalization fees are already among the highest in the world. A family of four has to pay $2,430 to become naturalized citizens. That cost doesn't include the extra money that might be necessary for English or civics classes to help prepare for the citizenship exams.

The HPV vaccine is effective in helping women stave off the threat of cervical cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. But if the government is intent on imposing such a financial burden on immigrant families, it should either subsidize the cost of the vaccine or deliver on the promise of what the United States has always stood for — the freedom to choose.