Cervical Cancer Vaccine Helps Older Women

A vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer works in women as old as 45, a study finds. The vaccine prevents infection with four types of human papilloma virus (HPV). These types are most likely to cause cervical cancer. The vaccine is recommended for girls and women up to age 26. The new study included 3,200 women who had never been infected with HPV. Their ages ranged from 24 to 45. Women received three shots — either the vaccine or fake vaccine. In the next two years, four women who got the vaccine were infected with HPV. This compares with 41 women who got the fake vaccine. The journal Lancet published the study results online. HealthDay News and Reuters news service wrote about it June 2.