The human papillomavirus vaccine: The promise of cervical cancer prevention.

In February 2007, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) – the expert committee that provides the Public Health Agency of Canada with advice relating to immunization – recommended that females between nine and 26 years of age be given the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (1). Within one month, the Government of Canada announced in its federal budget that $300 million would be allocated to the provinces for the HPV vaccine (2). Immunization recommendations are not infrequently associated with a certain amount of controversy, and HPV vaccination is no exception (3). A review of HPV disease and its diagnosis, as well as the evidence supporting the vaccination, will help to put the discussion into context.