Young ladies, time to get your paps smeared!
The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that it has approved the first vaccine designed to prevent cancer. [source]
Bonus!
Gardasil also blocks infection by two other HPV types that cause about 90% of genital warts cases
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Some questions remain about the best age for immunization with Gardasil, although the consensus is that girls should be vaccinated before becoming sexually active.
See also The Washington Post:
The vaccine, which works by building immunity against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, was found to be effective in preventing almost three-quarters of all cervical cancers.
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The vaccine, called Gardisil and developed by Merck & Co., was approved for girls and women ages 9 and 26. It is most useful if given to younger girls, because the vaccine is ineffective once the virus — which is very common among sexually active people — is already present.
