A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association focuses on the benefits and risks of the cervical cancer vaccine that has been administered to millions of young women throughout the United States.

The New York Times reports that although the overall tone of the journal was positive and in favor of the vaccine, "the authors noted that the analysis was based on imperfect data drawn from reports made to a voluntary government surveillance database.

While the vaccine has been reportedly wildly successful, the underlying question that remains is whether the risks, which have included 20 deaths and at least two reported cases of Lou Gherig's disease, are worth accepting in order to inoculate a population against a disease that can be prevented by screening.

Perhaps the cervical cancer vaccine has allowed the medical world a bit of 20/20 hindsight: Yes, it completely makes sense -- fiscally, logically and medically -- to take preventative measures against a disease. However, it seems as though the medical world was unable to make this realization until after the creation and distribution of the cervical cancer vaccine. 

To read the full article and to find a link to the published study, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18aging.html?_r=1&8dpc