Gardasil
The HPV vaccine protects against some strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which are sexually transmitted diseases. HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer and may also play a role in the development of other types of cancer [1]. In June 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first HPV vaccine based on observance of elevated antibody levels in a few thousand patients who had received the vaccine (including perhaps only a few hundred or less young girls).
Merck manufactures the HPV vaccine and sells it for $360 ($120 per shot in a three-shot series). Its package insert explains the limitations of the vaccine and describes its testing for safety and efficacy.[2]
A list of pending statutes in NJ for the HPV vaccine is here.