But there are still several important milestones left to conquer, says Warner Huh, M.D., gynecologic oncologist and an investigator on the Merck trials and GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine clinical trials.
"The FDA advisory committee's endorsement is a major step toward protecting women from cervical cancer, and we hope to hear a final decision from the FDA by June 8," Huh said. "But more importantly, the national Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices (ACIP) will likely decide this summer whether to endorse routine vaccination with this vaccine. The ACIP's HPV vaccine workgroup is recommending vaccination for girls 11 and 12 years of age. They also will consider recommendations for older adolescents and young adults. This is the committee that will decide whether this vaccine should be part of routine vaccinations for children, like the measles, mumps and rubella or chickenpox vaccines."
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Contact: Tracy Bischoff
tracy@uab.edu
205-934-8935
University of Alabama at Birmingham
19-May-2006