Tuesday, October 25, 2011

CDC Backs HPV Vaccine for Boys

Fox News

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel recommended Tuesday routine vaccination of boys ages 11 and 12 with Gardasil, which protects against infection from human papilloma virus. The panel unanimously approved the plan, with 13 votes in favor and one abstention.

The panel also advised that vaccinations with Gardasil begin in boys as young as 9 years old.

The recommendation, from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, elevates the urgency placed on immunization against HPV, one of the most common sexually-transmitted diseases and a major cause of cervical cancer. Previously, doctors were free to use the vaccine in boys, but the panel had stopped short of proposing routine vaccination...[Full Story]