On Wednesday, the findings of a new cervical cancer oriented study, conducted by researchers of the Harvard School of Public Health, were presented online by The New England Journal of Medicine.

According to the study’s results, the cervical cancer vaccine developed by Merck & Co., called Gardasil, may not be as cost effective with women in their mid 20s as everyone currently thinks. The vaccine, introduced back in 2006, costs around $360 for a three dose package.

The way Gardasil works is it prevents infections caused by four strains of papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmittable. While two of these strains are considered responsible for the occurance of about 70% of cervical cancer cases, the other two are believed to be causing genital warts. The effects of HPV strains do not stop here however, as they can also lead to other types of tumors, like anal or vaginal cancers.

Gardasil was approved by the FDA for females with ages ranging from 9 to 26. According to the recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best time to get the vaccine is before one becomes sexually active. Gardasil can only prevent the occurance of certain forms of infections; it cannot treat existing tumors.

The study suggests the fact that Gardasil's cost is justified only in the case of pre-adolescent girls, who have less chances of having been subjected to HPV. When it comes to older women, as age advances, Gardasil’s cost effectiveness runs thinner and thinner.