A vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes genital warts and cervical cancer, is safe and can be given to girls aged 11-12, scientists report. They cite results from a survey of nearly 200,000 immunized girls. Doubts about the vaccine’s safety emerged soon after it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2006, even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians have declared it safe and recommend it to place girls. All parents can feel confident that this is a detailed study and that the vaccine is safe to use, explains pediatrician Dr. Nicola Klein, its leader from the Research Center in Oakland, California. The HPV vaccine is administered in three doses over six months. The researchers looked at data on 189,629 immunized girls for 60 days after each dose of the vaccine. According to the study, the only side effects reported were feeling weak and sick on the day of vaccination, and skin infection around the injection site. HPV are the most common sexually transmitted viruses. At least 50% of women and men are affected by HPV infection. NEWS_MORE_BOX Human papillomavirus infection is a leading cause of cervical cancer in women. It can also lead to other health problems and diseases, such as genital warts and throat cancer. In nearly 80% of HPV infections, no symptoms are observed, experts explain. Thus, the infected transmit the virus to other sexual partners. That is why vaccination against papilloma viruses is important to be carried out before starting an active sexual life, experts explain. Starting this year, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend HPV vaccination for boys as well. The results are published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.