Adina Nack, Ph.D.

Whether you’re pro- or anti-vaccine, it’s worth questioning why FDA testing of and approval forGardasil’s use on males has lagged three years behind the female-only cervicalcancer vaccine. Most who have followed Gardasil's development were not surprised when the FDA voted to approve its use on boysand young men earlier this month.

However, many were dismayed by the reasoning behind the CDC Advisory Committee onImmunization Practices voting for "permissive" use of the malevaccine (in contrast to having voted for "routine" use of the femalevaccine). It cannot be an accident that the Oral Cancer Foundation released this video just before the FDA was scheduled to voteon approving the 'male' Gardasil vaccine.

Considering the causal links betweenHPV strains covered by Gardasil and serious (sometimes fatal) oral and anogenitalcancers, it will be interesting to see if U.S. boys/young men get vaccinated atas high a rate as we’ve seen for girls/young women.