Cervarix has already been in use in Europe. In fact, just recently a UK schoolgirl died not long after being given the Cervarix vaccine, and several of her classmates experienced serious side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration approved a second vaccine intended to protect against cervical cancer.Cervarix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, was approved Friday for prevention of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous legions caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18.
The vaccine is approved for use in girls and women ages 10 to 25 years and is to be administered in three doses. After the initial shot, the second and third doses are to be given within six months.
“The licensure of Cervarix adds another option in the prevention of cervical cancer,” said Dr. Karen Midthun, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “It has the potential to save lives from cervical cancer as well as reduce the need for biopsies and invasive procedures associated with the necessary follow-up from abnormal Pap tests.”
According to GlaxoSmithKline, the vaccine is 70 percent effective against pre-cancerous lesions, regardless of HPV type.
Source/Full Story: CNN.com
One Comment
Oh goodie! Yet another vaccine to prevent women from being infected with HPV? What about men? Nada, nothing, even though recent research has confirmed what urologists have long suspected: that certain strains of HPV are the cause of some rather aggressive forms of prostate cancer. Nothing’s being done about this. But what more should we suspect. Men’s health issues – and our reproductive system in particular – have always been relegated to the back seat when it comes to research funding and public policy initiatives.