Nova Scotia in Canada has become the first province in the country to launch a publicly funded vaccination program to protect young girls from the human papilloma virus (HPV).

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

Researchers from Japan have achieved a breakthrough in the field of vaccines by developing a type of rice that can carry a vaccine for cholera. The new discovery is seen as a revolutionary way to ease delivery of vaccines in developing countries, where storage is difficult due to lack of refrigeration.

The new rice vaccine, which is tested only in mice, causes immune reactions both systemwide in the body and in mucosal tissues such as in the mouth, nose and genital tract. Standard vaccines delivered by needle do not cause immune responses in the mucosal areas

Researchers have discovered a third type of twins called "semi-identical" twins that are somewhere between identical and fraternal twins. These rare twins are identical through their mother's side but share only half their genes on their father's side.

The "semi-identical" twins are the result of two sperm cells fusing with a single egg. This type of fertilization was not known earlier in twin births. The twins are chimaeras, which means they do not have genetically uniform cells, as each sperm has contributed genes to each child

New Mexico's Gov. Bill Richardson will reportedly sign a bill making it mandatory for all sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against HPV, the sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. The measure would take effect June 15 -- 90 days after the adjournment of the Legislature.

After an initial approval from the state House on Sunday, Gov. Bill Richardson said, "It's a public health issue, and I believe it's an important step. New Mexico has always been progressive on these issues. ... We've got to find ways for young women to be protected

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle have found exactly how human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) enters into women's bodies during sex. The study also identified HIV's first target cells in vagina.

"The majority of HIV-1 infected individuals worldwide are women who acquire HIV infection following sexual contact. Blocking HIV transmission and local spread in the female lower genital tract is key to prevent infection and ultimately to ease the pandemic," described study's authors Dr. Florian Hladik and Dr. M. Juliana McElrath