Merck Frosst has announced that a vaccine that will protect against cervical cancer has been approved by Health Canada. The company says the vaccine Gardasil has been approved for females between nine and 26 years of age for diseases caused by some types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), including cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, precancerous lesions and genital warts. The vaccine is expected to be available by the end of August 2006, although who receives the vaccine and how it is paid for will be up to the provinces. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Canadian women aged 20 to 44 after breast cancer. About 400 women die from cervical cancer each year in Canada.

More on Cervical Cancer in Canada
Canadian Cancer Society Welcomes Approval of Cervical Cancer Vaccine
Gardasil: The Cancer Vaccine That Protects Against STD - CBC News Indepth
What is Cervical Cancer? - Canadian Cancer Society
Screening for Cervical Cancer in Canada - Health Canada