The vaccine approved by the FDA this summer to prevent cervical cancer is now available at Lutheran Medical Center.

The CDC reports 80-percent of women by the age of 50 will have HPV or Human Papillomavirus. It says specific strains of this virus can lead to cervical cancer. The new vaccine, given to girls between the ages of 11-13, before they are sexually active, can help prevent them from developing the virus and cervical cancer in the future.

The CDC say approximately 70-percent of all cervical cancer is caused by a strain of HPV. It says it is important to go to the gynecologist at least once a year to help reduce the risks of cervical cancer.

Related Information: Merck and Company Inc.