HPV Vaccine - for Men?
2007-08-29 22:58:50.154325+02 by ebwolf 0 comments
It seems Merck is trying to double their potential market for the $500 vaccine, Gardasil, by pushing for approval for its application on young men. Evidently, there's some loose evidence that HPV-16 infection might be related to a form of throat cancer, oropharyngeal. HPV-16 is one of the two strains of human papillomavirus that are related to cervical cancer and that Gardasil interferes with (or prevents - to be generous).
What I'd like to know is how effective changes in diet might be in preventing this cancer compared to an over-priced, over-hyped vaccine? Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that the vaccine exists and I've been an active advocate at CU-Boulder in getting it paid for by our student health insurance. But I believe that vaccination should be more of a personal choice that is currently allowed.