Merck: CDC recommends cervical cancer vaccinations in young women with Gardasil

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., June 29 - Merck & Co., Inc. said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advisory committee on immunization practices voted unanimously to recommend that girls and women 11 to 26 years old be vaccinated with Gardasil (Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (Types 6, 11, 16, 18) Recombinant Vaccine) to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous and low-grade lesions and genital warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

The committee recommended that Gardasil be administered to 11- and 12- year-old females and to females aged 13 to 26 who have not previously been vaccinated, and that nine- and 10-year-old females can be vaccinated with Gardasil at the discretion of their physicians.

The committee also recommended that females can receive Gardasil regardless of whether they have or previously had an abnormal Pap test, a positive HPV test or genital warts.

On June 8, the Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil for the prevention of HPV types 16- and 18-related cervical cancer, for use in girls and women ages nine to 26 years.

During the meeting, the committee also voted to add Gardasil to the CDC's Vaccines for Children program, which provides vaccines to children who are Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured and Native American.

After the committee has made a recommendation for the use of a given vaccine, it votes on whether the vaccine should be included in the program.

Merck is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company located in Whitehouse Station, N.J.

© 2015 Prospect News.
All content on this website is protected by copyright law in the U.S. and elsewhere. For the use of the person downloading only.
Redistribution and copying are prohibited by law without written permission in advance from Prospect News.
Redistribution or copying includes e-mailing, printing multiple copies or any other form of reproduction.