From the Feminist Daily News:
The Food and Drug Administration denied Merck and Co Inc’s application to expand Gardasil use to women over the age of 26 on Wednesday. The FDA cited pending issues with the vaccine that could not be researched during the review time-frame, according to Philadelphia Business Journal.
Gardasil is a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that protects against about 70 percent of the HPV strains that are linked to cervical cancer. It was approved for use in girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26 in 2006.
The FDA also denied Merck’s proposal to expand the vaccine to cover other strains of the HPV. Merck and Co. is currently preparing to seek approval for use of the vaccine in men, according to CNN Money.
–Ann Bartow
Is anyone concerned about the possible effects of Gardasil? Do we really want to give our girls as young as 9 vacinne treatments? What longitudinal studies have been completed? Do we know what the risks are to our child bearing population?