Center in Tampa , Florida , and the trials ' principal investigator , `` The data clearly demonstrates that there was a benefit to men in receiving Gardasil . Overall , we saw a 90 percent reduction in disease -- genital warts and pre-cancerous lesions -- caused by HPV in men and an 89 percent reduction in genital warts incidence . `` Essentially , we have a really fantastic opportunity to extend the benefit of the vaccine to men , '' Giuliano said . `` This is a sexually transmitted infection ; if we can reduce infection and related diseases in men , we have the potential to have a much broader public health impact by reducing the overall burden of infection and disease in the community at large . '' Giuliano said there were no serious adverse events related to the vaccine . There were some minor side effects such as pain at the injection site and low-grade fever . The vaccine would be administered in boys and young men exactly as it 's been given to girls and young women : three doses over a period of six months . Merck spokeswoman Pam Eisele said the cost will
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Boys may soon be able to get Gardasil , the vaccine given to girls and young women to prevent infection by four types of human papillomavirus . Gardasil , a vaccine against human papillomavirus , would be given to boys exactly as it is to girls . A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted Wednesday to recommend that the vaccine be made available to boys and young men aged 9 to 26 for protection against genital warts caused by HPV . The vaccine protects against four types of HPV , and two of those are believed to be responsible for 70 percent of cervical and anal cancers , and HPV-associated penile and throat-and-neck cancers . The other two cause 90 percent of genital warts cases , researchers say . At Wednesday 's advisory committee meeting , pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. , maker of Gardasil , presented data from three clinical trials that the company claims supports broadening the distribution of the vaccine to include males . The trials included more than 5,400 boys and men from six continents and 23 countries . According to Anna Giuliano , an independent scientist at Moffit Cancer