SPRINGFIELD -- A vaccination for a sexually transmitted disease won't be added to the list of booster shots required for sixth-grade girls, at least not soon.

State Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson had proposed sixth-grade girls be vaccinated for human papillomavirus or HPV, which has been linked to cervical cancer.

The Senate passed a bill Friday that would instead require more education on HPV for parents and change the school immunization requirement for things like measles and mumps from fifth to sixth grade. This could pave the way for HPV shots to be part of the regimen in the future.

Another measure passed would make it mandatory for insurance companies to cover the HPV vaccinations and require the Department of Public Health to find funds to cover those who are underinsured.

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended the vaccination of females between 9 and 26 and that girls be vaccinated at 11 or 12 years of age as part of their required school immunizations.

In 2002, Halvorson was diagnosed with having a high risk for cervical cancer and learned it was due to HPV. She opted for a hysterectomy at age 44.

"The word cancer just scared me," Halvorson said. "When I heard about the vaccine, I made the decision to do all I could to eradicate this cancer."

Halvorson said if parents have more information on the virus and funds for the underinsured are found, she thinks she could get more support, at which point, she'll again push for the mandatory vaccinations.

Fran Eaton, a representative of Concerned Women for America, said the group is opposed to mandatory vaccinations because of parental concerns and because the effects of the shots on girls that young are not known.

"It sounds like there has been a definite improvement in the legislation," Eaton said.

The changes also seemed to be the factor that led to the legislation being passed overwhelmingly.

Sen. Todd Sieben, R-Geneseo, said he didn't support the old bill that would have made the shots mandatory. That change, along with the change in the age of immunization to sixth grade and providing more information to parents, swayed him to lend support.

Sen. Gary Dahl, R-Granville, agreed.

"The new legislation is completely watered down from what it was before," Dahl said. "Now, the issue is more about awareness."

But some still have reservations.

Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said he doesn't think young children should be educated on sexually transmitted diseases until they are old enough to understand it, though he isn't sure what age that is.