FDA Committee Supports HPV Vaccines For Boys

The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted on September 9, 2009, to recommend  Gardasil for use in preventing genital warts with boys and young men. 

Currently, the Merck vaccine is licensed for use with females ages 9-26, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend routine vaccination with Gardasil for girls ages 11-12, with catch-up vaccination for females ages 13-26. 

ASHA vice-president for health policy Deborah Arrindell says “the availability of two vaccines will promote competition in the marketplace, and hopefully will create an incentive for researchers to conduct further evaluation to better understand how each vaccine works, and how they may differ.