Gardasil rushed to market despite low benefit vs risk ratio
Gardasil, a vaccine manufactured by Merck and promoted as a prevention for cervical cancer, was approved by the FDA in 2006. Later the same month, the vaccine was added to a list of recommended vaccines for girls ages 11-12 years. This, despite the fact that the first phase 3 trials of the vaccine were not yet complete. It would be almost a year later – May 2007 – before these studies were complete. Why the big rush?