Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.

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November 25, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Researchers Looking for Women for Cervical Cancer Study" Associated Press (www.ap.org) (11/24/02)

Women who are virgins or have a limited number of sexual partners are needed for the final phase of clinical studies involving a cervical cancer vaccine.  About 70 women between the ages of 16 years and 23 years participated in the second phase of clinical trials that determined that the vaccine is safe and effective in the prevention of cervical cancer.  Women taking the vaccine were shown to resist the human papilloma virus, which infects the cervix and often leads to cervical cancer, while women taking the placebo were more at risk of contracting the virus.  Merck, which financed the studies, produces the new vaccine and plans to launch the product in several years to prevent the 4,500 deaths related to cervical cancer each year.

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