CDC Finalizes Advisory Committee Recommendations for Gardasil

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending routine Gardasil vaccines for girls females 1126 to prevent certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), Merck announced.

The CDC guidelines recommend the series of vaccines for all females ages 1126, but they can be given to girls as young as 9, Merck said. In addition, girls who have had abnormal Pap tests or who have tested positive for HPV can still take the vaccine because it guards against four HPV types.

HPV types 16 and 18 cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, and HPV types 6 and 11 cause 90 percent of genital wart cases, according to Merck. Gardasil also guards against cervical lesions and vulvar and vaginal precancers. The vaccine is administered in three shots for a total price of $360.

The CDC adopted recommendations its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued last year.