Boys may soon be given Gardasil, the vaccine against human papillomavirus, just as it is given to girls.

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee voted in favor of the vaccine to be made available to even boys and men aged 9-26 for protection against genital warts.

The vaccine prevents the occurrence of four types of HPV, two of which cause 70 percent of cervical and anal cancers. The other two case 90 percent of genital warts.

The decision was made following the data from three clinical trials presented by the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., the maker of Gardasil.

Anna Giuliano, an independent scientist at Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, and the trials' principal investigator said, "The data clearly demonstrates that there was a benefit to men in receiving Gardasil. Overall, we saw a 90 percent reduction in disease -- genital warts and pre-cancerous lesions -- caused by HPV in men and an 89 percent reduction in genital warts incidence".

She also said that there were no serious adverse effects of the vaccine and minor pain at the injection site with low-grade fever are the only side effects.

The vaccine is recommended for boys and young men in three doses over a period of six months.

HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted virus and atleast 50 percent of sexually active men and women get an HPV virus sometime in their life.

The FDA advisory committee also voted that Cervarix, a new HPV vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline, appeared to be safe and effective for girls and young women aged 10-25 years. It has already been approved in Europe.