ACIP recommends Gardasil
Apologies for my lack of writing lately — I have been extremely busy with work and offline life. After tonight, things should go back to normal.
Anyway, looks like I was right about Gardasil not having an uphill fight:
A government advisory committee is recommending that all 11- and 12-year-old girls get a new vaccine to prevent the sexually transmitted virus that leads to most cases of cervical cancer. Moreover, the vaccine will get federal funding under the Vaccines for Children program.
Additionally, the vaccine can be given to girls as young as 9.
[...]
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, ACIP, convened by Centers for Disease Control, also recommended routine use of the vaccine for women between the ages of 13 and 26 regardless of the status of pap-smear tests that measure precursors to cervical cancer.
This is good news for Merck, and for all women. Glad to see the religious retardsright was not able to derail Gardasil recommendation. This part stood out to me, because it notes that the decision was really a non-event:
In a note this morning that preceded the meeting, Timothy Anderson, pharmaceuticals analyst at Prudential Equity Group, had called the decision "a formality."
Hooray common sense!
[tags]Medicine, pharmacy, Gardasil, Merck, politics, religion[/tags]
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Does the recommendation mean that males will not be given the vaccine as part of the Vaccines for Children program? Bah. What are the options for boys and men?
I'm sorry if this is an obvious set of questions.
Comment by DrFaulken — June 30, 2006 @ 3:33 pm
No, it's not an obvious question.
Gardasil is currently being tested in males, and will likely be approved for them at a later date. If a doc feels that a man is at high risk for contracting HPV, said doc can prescribe the vaccine if he feels it is warranted.
Gardasil has been approved for one relatively small (but important) demographic. It will likely be approved for other demographics within another year or so. ACIP can only make recommendations based on FDA-approved uses. Doctors can prescribe outside those approved uses if they want.
Comment by RJS — July 1, 2006 @ 12:56 am
[...] Gardasil's looking like more and more of a money-maker for Merck. WellPoint has decided it will cover the vaccine. Probably because they (rightly) determined that an ounce of prevention is less expensive than a pound of cure, and ACIP's recommendation didn't hurt, either. According to WellPoint policy, immunization coverage decisions are based on recommendations issued by ACIP. ACIP is comprised of 15 experts in fields associated with immunization who provide advice and guidance to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and CDC on the most effective means to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases. The CDC and HHS will now review ACIP's recommendations and make a formal recommendation on coverage. [...]
Pingback by WellPoint will cover Gardasil :: OnThePharm — July 5, 2006 @ 10:47 pm