News for January, 2012

Emotions overflow at public forum about Gardasil, as vaccine ‘victims’ speak out

What was designed to be a public health information forum about the HPV vaccine turned into an emotional scene as self-described “victims” of the vaccine spoke out about serious side effects linked to the drug. Perhaps the most well known of these vaccines, which are promoted as protection against the human papillomavirus (HPV), is Gardasil, manufactured by Merck. HPV, which is transmitted sexually,  is linked to the development of cervical cancer and, more recently, cancers of the throat and anus.

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January is Cervical Health Awareness Month

Throughout the month of January, women are observing Cervical Health Awareness Month. According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC), each year in the U.S., approximately 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer. More than 4,000 women die as a result of cervical cancer annually. However, cervical cancer is preventable.

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Young woman posts YouTube video about her Gardasil experience

A video was posted to YouTube on January 3, 2012, called “Gardasil or Gardahell? You tell me!” by a 22-year-old young woman who identifies herself as “Ashley.” Filming herself, Ashley talks to viewers about her personal experiences with the , which she received about three years ago. She received all three doses of the vaccine, despite side effects such as tremors, because she and her mother never connected the shots with the symptoms she was experiencing.

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Overestimating benefits of HPV vaccines could lead to increased risks

A new study published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine indicates girls who receive HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines like Gardasil and Cervarix may overestimate the amount of protection the drug offers. According to the report, funded by the National Institutes of Health, some girls think they no longer have to practice safe sex after receiving the vaccination, or that they are protected from all types of HPV or protected from HPV indefinitely. In fact, vaccines such as Gardasil only protect against four of hundreds of types of HPV, and the vaccine’s effectiveness diminishes after about five to seven years.

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