Vaccines to Prevent Cervical Cancer

Preventing Cervical Cancer: Tens of millions of girls and young women have been vaccinated against the disease in the United States and Europe in the two years since two vaccines were given government approval in many countries.In the United States, Merck markets its HPV vaccine as Gardasil.

Gardasil has been made available to the poorest girls in the country, up to age 18, at a potential cost to the United States government of more than $1 billion There are proposals to mandate the vaccine for girls in middle schools in 24 states, and in Virginia it will be mandatory this fall. Even the British National Health Service will start giving the other vaccine -- Cervarix, from GlaxoSmithKline -- to all 12-year-old girls at school this September.

The vaccines, which also offer some protection against infection from sexually transmitted viruses cost about $360 for the three-dose series.
Dr. Jon Abramson is professor of pediatrics at Wake Forest University and chairman of the committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommended the vaccine for all girls once they reached 11 or 12.

Of course, there are possible risks associated with any therapy, including vaccines. There is also some question as to whether a booster shot may be needed at some point in the future, but as a pharmacist and as a mother of 3 daughters, Gardasil was the right choice for my family.