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Following the FDA’s recent approval of the new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Gardasil), the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended the vaccine for routine administration to 11- and 12-year-old girls. The ACIP also endorsed Gardasil for girls as young as 9 and recommended that women aged 13 to 26 receive the vaccination series.
The HPV vaccine is administered in three shots, with the second dose 2 months after the first and the third dose at 6 months. The vaccine, which has a 3-year shelf life when refrigerated, will retail for US$360 for the full series. Most insurers cover ACIP-recommended vaccines; the federal Vaccines for Children program will also cover the vaccine’s cost for uninsured girls younger than 19. While some observers are concerned that routine administration of the vaccine might encourage sexual activity among the young, many women’s health groups have joined the CDC in advocating its use. It will be up to each of the 50 states to decide whether vaccination will be required for school entry.
The vaccine has been found 100% effective in preventing precancerous lesions of the cervix, and it’s close to 100% effective in preventing genital warts. The vaccine includes HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for about 70% of cervical cancers, and types 6 and 11, which are responsible for about 90% of genital warts. Studies of the vaccine’s safety and efficacy in young men are ongoing, as are studies of the durability of protection in women. Because the vaccine does not affect existing HPV infections and does not cover all HPV types, the recommendations for cervical cancer screening in young women have not changed. The CDC has released a fact sheet summarizing key aspects of the vaccine and the new recommendations.