Girls should get the new vaccine for human papilloma virus (HPV) at age 11-12, the American Cancer Society says in new guidelines issued Friday.

HPV is a very common virus. Some types of HPV are sexually transmitted, and these can cause cervical cancer and other types of cancer, as well as genital warts.

The vaccine currently available, called Gardasil, protects against 2 types of HPV that cause about 70% of cervical cancers, and 2 other types that cause 90% of genital warts. It is given as a series of 3 shots over the course of 6 months. Other HPV vaccines are also being tested.

But screening will still be an important part of cervical cancer prevention, even in people who have been vaccinated, the guidelines say. They are published in the latest issue of the ACS journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

The complete ACS recommendations address several different groups:

• Routine HPV vaccination is recommended for girls aged 11-12 years.
• Girls as young as 9 years old may be vaccinated.
• The vaccine is also recommended for girls 13-18 years old to catch up on missed shots or to complete the series of shots.
• There is not yet enough information to recommend for or against vaccinating women 19-26 years old, so these women should discuss vaccination with their doctor.
• The HPV vaccine is not recommended at this time for women over age 26.
• The HPV vaccine is not recommended at this time for boys or men.
• Women should continue to be screened for cervical cancer according to ACS guidelines, regardless of whether they have gotten the HPV vaccine.

The new recommendations are in line with those issued by federal health officials after the vaccine was approved last summer.