cervical cancer vaccination

[mellowtigger]

I'm disappointed that I have only 1 female on my Friends list and none who have friended me.  (I think.)  I disapprove of that status.  I do, however, have several science geeks listening, so hopefully someone can provide a thorough answer to this question.

I've been seeing commercials on television recently about vaccinations for women to provide them some immunity against cervical cancer.  Why isn't this vaccine being marketed at all humans?  I assume that women are getting infected by men, so why not immunize their disease vector as well?

At first glance, it seems like immunizing against the flu but only for people whose last names begin with the letters A-L.  What gives?

Comments

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

The tendency in public health has been to direct a costly new vaccine to those who appear to benefit most directly from it (in this case, pre-sexual young women.) I have heard rumblings about using it for young men as well, and epidemiologically speaking it may eventually make sense to keep total infection rates down by vaccinating broad swaths of young people. Just as the flu vaccine started out recommended to those who might suffer the worst from a bout of flu but is now being recommended for the most-likely-to-transmit, children and caregivers, and eventually everyone.