Gardasil (Merck, released 2006) protects with near 100% efficacy against HPV 6, 11 and 16. These also cause RRP. Additionally, it also protects against HPV 18, which has not been associated with RRP.
Dr. Keerti Shah is a John Hopkins based researcher who previously published some highly respected studies on risk factors of contracting RRP based on the HPV status of the mother.
He writes (link removed recently by Johns Hopkins): "The vaccine [Gardasil] will also prevent a rare but serious HPV-related disease called respiratory papillomatosis. The illness causes benign tumors to form in the respiratory tract. These tumors are not malignant, but some children may develop the disease at the age of 1-2 years and require hundreds of surgeries to keep the airway open. Mothers who have genital warts can transmit the disease to their children during birth. As I mentioned, the Gardasil™ vaccine developed by Merck also provides protection against HPV types 6 and 11, which cause genital warts. By preventing genital warts, the chance of spreading the virus from mother to child would be practically zero."
GSK's Cervarix (in development and, as of January 2008, has yet to be released) does NOT prevent against the HPV types that usually cause RRP. It focuses on HPV 16 and 18.
Both Bettie Steinberg, PhD and Ian Frazer, MD are experts on HPV/RRP. They have indicated in private discussion with the director of RRP ISA that Gardasil might very well act prophylactically to prevent further spread of RRP/HPV to the lungs in patients already diagnosed with laryngeal or tracheal RRP.
