HPV Vaccine - Worth the Risk?
A quick update on the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine (GARDASIL), which some states, such as Texas, are now considering requiring for all adolescent girls.
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), the nation’s leading vaccine safety and informed consent advocacy organization, has openly questioned both the risks and costs of the HPV vaccine:
“GARDASIL safety appears to have been studied in fewer than 2,000 girls aged 9 to 15 years pre-licensure clinical trials and it is unclear how long they were followed up. VAERS [Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System] is now receiving reports of loss of consciousness, seizures, arthritis and other neurological problems in young girls who have received the shot,” said NVIC President Barbara Loe Fisher. “At the same time, parents who take their daughters to private pediatricians are going to be shocked to find that they will be paying two to three times the widely publicized $360 cost for the three-dose series.
NVIC also notes how the HPV vaccine is being given by some doctors at the same time as other vaccines, despite no research to suggest that this practice is safe:
VAERS reports also indicate the doctors are administering GARDASIL to girls and women at the same with Tdap, DT, meningococcal (Menactra), hepatitis A, and other vaccines, even though the Merck product insert states that, with the exception of hepatitis B vaccine, “Co-administration of GARDASIL with other vaccines has not been studied.”
Certainly, cervical cancer is a terrible disease, but, as discussed in an earlier post, shouldn’t more research go into potential interactions between the various vaccine antigens? Why rush into adding another required vaccine, especially since cervical cancer rates have fallen dramatically because of routine pap smears?
There has been a more than 70 percent drop in cervical cancer deaths in American women since the 1950’s due to routine pap smears and nearly all cervical cancers can be prevented with regular pap smear screening and treatment.
Merck, the manufacturer of GARDASIL, even acknowledges the effectiveness of screening and notes it should not be stopped after vaccination:
In its product manufacturer insert, Merck states that “Vaccination does not substitute for routine cervical cancer screening. Women who receive GARDASIL should continue to undergo cervical cancer screening per standard of care.” Merck also states that “The duration of immunity following a complete schedule of immunization with GARDASIL has not been established.”
Something doesn’t seem quite right …
