Gardasil News and Research

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Gardasil is a vaccine that prevents the types of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. The vaccine, Gardasil, is given in three shots over six-months. The vaccine is routinely recommended for 11 and 12 year old girls. It is also recommended for girls and women age 13 through 26 who have not yet been vaccinated or completed the vaccine series.

International studies show high efficacy for Gardasil

A new vaccine aimed at preventing cervical cancer is nearly 100 percent effective against the two types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) responsible for most cases of cervical cancer, strains 16 and 18.

1 Jun 2007

U.S. parents not in favor of HPV vaccine mandates

While debate in several state governments continues to grow over school mandates for Gardasil – a vaccine recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for girls ages 11 to 12 that is designed to provide protection against human papillomavirus, or HPV, the virus linked to cervical cancer and genital warts – the majority of U.S. parents have already reached a decision on the issue: They do not want the vaccine to be mandated.

24 May 2007

Human papillomavirus linked to throat cancers

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have conclusive evidence that human papillomavirus (HPV) causes some throat cancers in both men and women.

10 May 2007

Some physicians not purchasing, restricting recipients of Gardasil because of cost, Washington Post reports

Inadequate reimbursement from insurance companies for Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil is leading some physicians to refuse to purchase the vaccine and restricting the recipients to those whose insurers have agreed to pay a "reasonable" fee, the Washington Post reports (Boodman, Washington Post , 5/1).

2 May 2007

Some doctors refuse to purchase cervical cancer vaccine because of low reimbursements

Some physicians are refusing to purchase Merck's cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil or are restricting who receives it because they say insurance reimbursements for the vaccine are too low, the Washington Post reports.

2 May 2007

Texas Legislature passes bill to halt Gov. Perry's executive order mandating HPV vaccine

The Texas House on Wednesday voted 135-2 to pass ( HB 1098 ) a Senate-approved bill that would prevent mandatory vaccination for middle school girls in the state until 2011, the New York Times reports (Blumenthal, New York Times , 4/26).

30 Apr 2007

Rising vaccine costs put kids at risk

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is alarmed that the soaring costs of vaccines combined with lower reimbursements from insurance companies will lead to the under- immunization of the nation's children and unnecessary outbreaks of preventable diseases.

11 Apr 2007

New York progresses HPV vaccine distribution to health providers, school clinics

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Thursday announced that it has distributed 57,810 doses of Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil to city health providers, including school-based health clinics, the New York Post reports.

2 Apr 2007

HPV vaccine proposals in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Dakota

Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine Cervarix in clinical trials have been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases.

22 Mar 2007

Canada budgets $258 million for human papillomavirus vaccination programs

The Canadian government on Monday announced that it is including about $258 million in the 2007-2008 budget to help pay for provincial human papillomavirus vaccination programs, Toronto's Globe and Mail reports.

22 Mar 2007

Lack of preventive care, not HPV vaccine, 'real' reason 'too many women still die of cervical cancer'

The "real" reason that "[t]oo many women still die of cervical cancer" is the "lack of access to preventive medical care for low-income women and not the lack of a vaccine," Wall Street Journal columnist and Illinois-based physician Benjamin Brewer writes in an opinion piece.

11 Mar 2007

Gardasil not provided at most New York City health clinics

Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil is not provided at most New York City health clinics, and girls and women who are eligible for no-cost or low-cost vaccination often are told they must pay for it, according to a report released on Wednesday by Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, the New York Sun reports.

11 Mar 2007

Debate over HPV vaccine 'clouded' by worries about promiscuity

The debate over the Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil has been "clouded" by "worries about promiscuity," New York Times reporter Denise Grady writes in a column

8 Mar 2007

Safety of Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil 'lost' in debate

The effectiveness and safety of Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil has "been lost" because of Merck's lobbying campaign for mandating vaccination for school attendance, and the "real losers" might be "girls and women who need access" to the vaccine, Boston Globe columnist Ellen Goodman writes in an opinion piece .

5 Mar 2007

Actions taken on HPV vaccine proposals in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota and Virginia

4 Mar 2007

Lawmakers should not make HPV vaccination mandatory, CDC advisory panel chair says

Jon Abramson, chair of CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, recently said that he does not support mandating human papillomavirus vaccination for school attendance, the Washington Times reports.

1 Mar 2007

About 26% of U.S. girls, women ages 14 to 59 have HPV

Of U.S. women and girls ages 14 to 59, about 24.9 million women, or 26.8%, have the human papillomavirus, and about 2% of women and girls in the age group have HPV strains 16 or 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases, according to a study published in the Feb. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Wall Street Journal reports.

1 Mar 2007

One in four American women infected with HPV

In the first comprehensive study of a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cervical cancer, it has been found that one in four American women age 14 to 59 are infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV).

28 Feb 2007

State actions on human papillomavirus vaccine proposals

The following highlights recent news of state actions on human papillomavirus vaccine proposals. Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine Cervarix in clinical trials have been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases.

25 Feb 2007

Texas Gov. Perry says Merck campaign contribution had no effect on decision to mandate Gardasil

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) on Thursday said that contributions made by a Merck political action committee to his campaign had no influence on his decision to issue an executive order requiring that all girls entering the sixth grade receive a human papillomavirus vaccine, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports