Blue Shield California covers Merck & Co's Gardasil

US health care provider Blue Shield of California says that it is now providing full coverage for drug major Merck & Co's human papilloma virus Gardasil, the first vaccine designed specifically to prevent cervical cancer.

The decision to cover Gardasil follows recommendations provided by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Marketletter July 10) to help control the spread of HPV, a viral infection that is the cause of most cervical cancers.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, Gardasil is a safe and effective drug that proved effective 100% of the time against the target strains of HPV that are responsible for about 70% of all cervical cancers. It works by boosting the immune system so that it effectively fights off two of the most common strains of HPV, the most prevalent sexually-transmitted disease in modern society. It is estimated that approximately 20 million men and women in the USA are infected with HPV, which includes half of all sexually-active women aged between 18 and 22.