February is cancer prevention month and there is one vaccine recommended to help protect against a virus that causes cancer. That vaccine is called Gardasil and it fights against HPV or human papillomavirus. Lynn Fisher with Washington County Public Health shares the vaccine protects against nine strains of HPV, which can cause cervical cancer in women, or anal or throat cancers in men or women.

Fisher adds HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus with 79 million Americans currently infected according to the Centers for Disease Control. Fisher shares they recommend preteen boys and girls get the series of three shots before 13 years old, but it can be given up into the 20s.

HPV often doesn’t show symptoms and women are reminded to have routine Pap tests. For the full interview with Fisher click here.