You'd think that if they invented a vaccine that protects you from cancer, everyone would want it. But last week's approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of Gardasil, a vaccine against cervical cancer, raises about as many questions as it does hopes. At the top of the list: Who will get the vaccine, who will benefit most, and who will pay for it?
Before we tackle those issues, however, a short biology lesson is in order. Almost all cervical cancers are caused by a few strains of a sexually transmitted microbe called human papillomavirus, or HPV. Most of the...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
