Parents gathered outside of Assemblywoman Amy Paulin’s Scarsdale office today to protest bills advocating vaccines and shots for children without parental knowledge or consent.

The protest, also known as “Blackout Day,” is when parents across the state remove their children from classes to send a message to legislators.

Their goal is to prevent the state Senate Health Committee from passing bills that will allow treatment for the flu and sexual transmitted diseases, like HPV, to youth without parental authorization.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the HPV vaccine is safe and protects children long before they are ever exposed to cancer-causing infections. The organization also reports 4,000 women die of cervical cancer each year, and in 10 years adds up to 40,000 women. However, many parents believe otherwise.

“There is 44 percent increase of them getting cancer -- if they already have the infection and then they get the vaccine -- and there are cases of that," says protester Danielle Lazarakis.

Protesting parents feel as though they’re being forced to vaccinate their children.

“Why is it being thrown down our throat? Why do our children have to be threatened to go to school or not go to school based on a medical intervention?" asks Lazarakis.

One protester told News 12’s Nikita Ramos that she had a bad reaction to the vaccine at the age of 25.

“I had this extreme swelling in my leg, where my leg looked broken. I could barely walk for a week. No one linked it back to the vaccine…I had a reaction for six months to a year after and still have effects like chronic fatigue and heavy metal toxicity.”

When asked about children receiving the human papillomavirus vaccine at an early age, Assemblywoman Paulin told News 12 "once they have sexual activity and they're exposed to HPV, then they have it and the HPV vaccine is only effective for any HPV that they may encounter after that."