Gardasil is an investigational vaccine from Merck & Company Incorporation, which prevented 100% of high-grade cervical pre-cancers, and non-invasive cervical cancers (CIN 2/3 and AIS) associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 in a new phase III study. 

Gardasil vaccine has been 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause 70% of cervical cancer cases. The vaccine is also 99% effective in preventing HPV strains 6 and 11, which together with strains 16 and 18 cause about 90% of genital wart cases. It also protects against vaginal and vulvar cancers, two other gynecological cancers that also are linked to HPV, according to another study.

Merck and Gardasil

This vaccine is a noteworthy advance in the protection of women's health in that it strikes at the infections that are the root cause of many cervical cancers. The vaccine will have a dramatic effect on women's health worldwide, where cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women and is predictable to cause over 470,000 new cases and 233,000 deaths each year.

As Gardasil is most successful in women who have never been exposed to HPV, it should be given to young girls before they are sexually active. The vaccine is approved for children as young as 9 and the CDC?s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will decide to whom and when it should be administered. The ACIP?s vaccine group is suggesting girls 11 ? 12 should be given the vaccine and there?s some discussion about giving it to young boys, as well. While men cannot get cervical cancer, HPV would be much less likely to spread if both sexes were vaccinated.