Gardasil Gets A Go Ahead

In a remarkable achievement, Gardasil, world's first cervical cancer vaccine, got clearance from the Health authorities in New Zealand and will be available for girls and women aged 9 to 26 years from today. The vaccine helps prevent cervical cancer caused by unprotected sexual activites.

It is known that the prostaglandins hormones present in men's semen prop up the chances of growth of cervical cancer in his female partner. Cervical Cancer alone claims about 500,000 lives each year worldwide. In New Zealand around 180 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, of which one third of them die.

Designed to be administered to females between the age group 9 to 26, in the course of three injections, the vaccine provides protection against four types of HPV viz type 6, type 11, type 16 and type 18.

However in clinical trials conducted on about 20,000 women worldwide showed 100% effectiveness of the drug, Gardasil, against cases triggered by the types 16 and 18 HPV (human papilloma virus). These two strains put together account for about 70% of the cervical cancer cases.

Costing about $450 for the three dose programme, the drug is awaiting the approval for its inclusion in the schedule of childhood vaccinations.

According to the researchers, the vaccine shows best results if administered at the age where young girls have still not had an exposure to sex and thus don’t run a risk to contacting HPV infection.

Gardasil’s manufacturers - Merck & Co Inc is the first to get a license for the anti HPV vaccine. GlaxoSmithKline has also come with its vaccine Cervarix which is expected to be approved early next year.

The expectations from Gardasil are huge, however, the Federation of Women's Health Councils has cautioned and questioned about the effects of Gardasil.