According to Kansan.com, "To protect men against the virus, the FDA approved Gardasil earlier this month for use in men. "

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the genital HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease. About 20 million Americans have HPV, and another 6.2 million will become infected this year. While men can’t be tested for HPV, they are still affected by the virus through genital warts and can be transmitters of the infection.

Wow! Serious right?

Merck & Co., Inc., the manufacturer of Gardasil, has issued approximately 25 million dosages of the vaccine in the United States since 2006. Though the vaccine uses the same chemical formula for both men and women, it had only been approved for use in females.

Ali Kresge, global communications representative at Merck, said the company held trials for both sexes from the beginning but couldn’t receive approval at the same time.

“The FDA wanted more expansive clinical trials,” Kresge said. “They wanted to make sure that the data was comprehensive and strong.”

So, what is this saying? Does this mean that men will be likely to get the shot now that they are approved?

McNeill said because Gardasil was intended to prevent cervical cancer, the original application and the supplemental application for use in men were marked “priority.”

In September, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended Gardasil’s approval for use in men.

“Our decisions are based on science and data,” McNeill said. “If a drug is proven safe and effective, we’ll approve it.”

Kresge said the vaccine for both women and men was given in three dosages. The first one is given on a date chosen by the patient. Two months later the second dose is given. The final dose is given six months after the original date.

Hester said for uninsured students, each shot costs $148.50 plus a $12.50 injection fee at Watkins. For the entire vaccine, the cost is around $483. Hester said insurance coverage varied based on the individual.

“We are seeing more and more that insurances are covering it,” Hester said.

Kresge said the side effects and overall safety of the vaccine were the same regardless of gender. She said the most common side effect was soreness at the injection site. Headaches were also common among some patients. Fever, nausea, and dizziness can also occur.

According to Mai Hester, Watkins Health Center.

Approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV, and another 6.2 million people become newly infected each year.

• At least 50% of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives.

• About 1% of sexually active adults in the U.S. have genital warts at any one time.

• The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2008, 11,070 women would be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S.

My Thoughts....

Now that Gardasil has been approved for both men and women, I hope each will take advantage of it. Seeing that it is the number one cause of cervical cancer, it is vital that we make sure that mothers, friends, sisters, and daughters are invested in making sure their health is the number one priority. Right now we are in a serious debate on our healthcare and if this article is not a clear indicator that we are going to be facing some serious medical issues, then I don't know what is.

Take Care of yourselves and your neighbors as well!

What do you think? Will men get vaccinated now that it is available for them as well?