WHO makes Gardasil eligible for procurement

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. The World Health Organization has made a vaccine for human papillomavirus eligible for procurement by the United Nations Children’s Fund and other UN agencies for use in national immunization programs.

Merck & Co. announced that the WHO had granted pre-qualification to the vaccine Gardasil (human papillomavirus quadrivalent [Types 6, 11, 16, 18] vaccine, recombinant).

“Merck is committed to ensuring access to Gardasil,” Merck Vaccines and Infections Diseases president Margaret McGlynn said. “WHO pre-qualification is an important step to enable more women in countries throughout the world to benefit from this significant advance in women’s health.”