On Wednesday, it was announced that beginning in the fall, Grade 7 girls will be given doses of the vaccine as part of a school based vaccination program. The vaccines are not mandatory and will require a consent form.
British Columbia and Quebec will monitor the Nova Scotia program and may consider a similar one. The federal government supports HPV vaccinations and had made $300 million available to support vaccination programs.
The vaccine is recommended for females between 9 and 26 years of age. Girls wanting to get the vaccine would typically pay about $400 at their doctor's office.
HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that may cause genital warts or create a risk for cervical cancer.
In Canada the vaccine is sold under the name Gardasil and it was approved by health Canada in July 2006.
