The vaccine Gardasil is now recommended for routine use in boys and girls starting at age 11 to prevent infection with the human papilloma virus, or HPV. The vaccine has been in use for several years, mostly in girls, to prevent cervical cancer. Recent studies have confirmed that it’s very safe, and have shown that this same vaccine can also effectively prevent head and neck as well as rectal cancers in males. These cancers aren’t rare—in the United States each year, about 18,000 HPV-associated cancers are diagnosed in women, and 7,000 in men. The recent recommendation to include boys in the vaccination strategy can help prevent most of these cancers, and help prevent transmission of the disease in the community. We’ll plan on reviewing your child’s HPV vaccine status at the next routine well visit.