Should legal minors be allowed to access an STD vaccine without asking their parents? A state Senate committee had planned to discuss that very question at the Capitol Tuesday until the bill's sponsor decided to hold off until after the members' hectic budget schedule. Our Britt Godshalk takes a look at the issue and the statewide discussion that will most likely take place in the coming weeks.

ALBANY -- "If you go to the doctor and your child has an injury, the doctor treats that injury," said Senator Eric Schneiderman of Manhattan. "It's a matter of what the doctor thinks is medically appropriate and parents don't really get involved in most of those decisions."

"There is nothing is stop a doctor in school or a nurse in school from going up to a 6-year-old and saying, 'You want a lollipop for a Gardasil shot?'" said Rita Palma, founder of My Kids, My Choice.

"I have a pretty precocious daughter, but I'm pretty sure she would not have asked at 6 years old," said Schneiderman.

Debate in the halls of the Capitol over a bill that would give teens access to a vaccine against the human papilloma virus, or HPV, without a parents consent. Certain kinds of HPV have been linked to cervical cancer. Joining the debate, Tracey Brooks, who represents family planning health centers across the state as president and CEO of Family Planning Advocates of NY.

"If we're saying that our youth can treat a sexually transmitted infection, why wouldn't we allow them to prevent a sexually transmitted infection?" said Brooks.

Brooks stopped short of confirming whether or not she supports mandating HPV vaccinations in schools.

"We are not working towards a mandatory bill; right now we're looking to allow our youth to access the vaccine when they don't have a situation where they can talk to their parents," said Brooks.

But an Assembly committee is currently considering a separate bill that would add Gardasil to the list of vaccines required for kids to attend school.

"Parents do not support being left out of the picture regarding medical decisions for their children," said Palma.

Despite this opposition, state Democrats are confident the bill simply allowing children to access the vaccine will pass in both chambers while the governor is reserving comment until it does pass. But mothers like Rita Palma, concerned about the vaccine's potential risks, hopes it never makes it to his desk.

"I'm optimistic that this will cast enough light on the bill that it will stop it at this level," said Palma.

The bill's sponsor, Liz Krueger, said opposition to the bill is not one of the reasons she tabled it. She expects to put it back on the table in the coming weeks.