Should there be a price on cancer prevention?

After some exploring I found that there are ways for women to get the HPV vaccine if they cannot afford the high price, and if they happen to not be in grade 8. There are some programs available for a fraction of the cost, while some even offer the vaccine for free, that is, if the woman qualifies. If a woman is uninsured, or her insurance doesn't cover the vaccine, she qualifies to get the vaccine at a reduced cost or for free. Merck, the company that makes Gardasil, even has a vaccine assistance program for women to receive the vaccine for free. However, women have to qualify first. You must be at least 19 yrs of age, be uninsured, reside in the US, and have an annual income of $20 000 or less for inds., $28 000 or less for couples, and $42 400 or less for a family of four. Apparently Merck does take case-by-case considerations for woman who are in special circumstances. There is also a vaccines for children program for youth under the age of 18, who do not have insurance, and qualify for Medicare. I am not sure if progams such as this exist in Canada.

While I believe it's great that girls and young women who want to be vaccinated with Gardasil have the opportunity to do so without paying $360, I think it's unfortunate that there is such a high cost at all. I understand that pharmaceutical companies need to make some money, but it is sad that they make as much as they do. It's hard to comprehend the fact that a woman has to pay $360 to protect herself from cancer. Merck has reportedly made billions off of Gardasil already. And while they claim that most insurance companies do cover the vacccine, many people do not have insurance. Is it right that those to pay b/w $300-$500 to protect themselves? And for those who can't afford it, is it right that these women are denied protection?