Immigrant girls and women will no longer be required to get the HPV vaccine before filing for their green cards, read an article from the Associated Press today. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires a host of vaccines be given to immigrants applying for green card status, however, starting December 14, HPV will no longer be on that list.

Back in 2006, the The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices -- who advises the federal government on immunization policies, advised that the HPV vaccine Gardasil be given to all 11, 12-year-old girls. But now, the same committee is not pushing for the same vaccine to be given to boys. The reason is cost effectiveness, claims the commitee.

Shortly after my HPV article, Living with HPV, was published on thephoenix.com yesterday morning, I started recieving an amazing amount of positive (all positive so far!) responses via email. I'm still getting tons of email today now that the story hit the newsstands and I want to thank everyone for supporting me and reinforcing my belief that not enough is said about this disease that affects about 75 percent of all sexually active Americans.