The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has decided to include Gardasil , Merck & Co.Inc's new cervical cancer vaccine in its Vaccines for Children program.
The program is government subsidized and covers uninsured or poor schoolchildren upto age 18 . The vaccine which was approved in June , will be given to young girls before they become sexually active.Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women . Gardasil prevents it by protecting against the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV), which can trigger the disease, and it has been recommended that it be available for use between age 9-26.
The advisory panel to the CDC also recommended its inclusion in the Vaccines for Children program. The vaccine is covered by some private insurance companies and this recommendation will ensure that the vaccine will be more widely used.
Source-Medindia
MAL
