The public forum was held in an Indianapolis community, sponsored by the Indiana Immunization Coalition. It featured among its panelists scientist Darron Brown, who is one of the creators of the HPV vaccine. He is a researcher at UI Health. He and other panelists were put on the spot when parents began peppering them with questions about the vaccine’s safety.

WISH TV8 reporter Deanna Dewberry, who attended the forum as part of her ongoing investigation about the HPV vaccine, said  the scene became more emotionally charged as some parents in the audience began to share stories about serious side effects suffered by their children, which they believed were directly related the Gardasil shots. Teenage girls cried as their parents shared information about the symptoms they reportedly suffer after receiving the vaccine.

Brown and other panelists, which included physicians and public health department representatives, argued such side effects have not been conclusively proven as resulting from the vaccine.

Since its approval by the FDA and introduction to the market in 2006, Gardasil has been linked to more than 20,000 reports of adverse side effects, including serious problems such as seizures, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Guilliane Barre syndrome. There have been nearly 100 deaths reported among girls who received the Gardsail vaccine. At the end of 2011, the vaccine’s reach was expanded when it was approved for use in boys and young men.

Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department, assured parents that her office would follow up on reports of side effects linked to Gardasil.

Watch the News Report:

HPV vaccine forum turns emotional: wishtv.com

Source: WISH TV8

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

The most effective treatment for cervical cancer is a regular gynecological exam, including a Pap smear. This simple test can check for dysplasia, or pre-cancerous cells, which can then be treated. A gynecologist also may administer an HPV test, to check for the human papillomavirus, which has been linked to the development of cervical cancer.

According to the NCCC, since its introduction more than 50 years ago, the Pap test has been the single greatest contributor to the decline in cervical cancer. Between the 1950s and early 1990s, cervical cancer deaths in the United States dropped by more than 70 percent, and continue to decline. A Pap test collects cells from the cervix, which can then be examined under a microscope to look for any abnormalities. Physicians recommend women begin having Pap tests within three years after their first sexual intercourse, or at age 21.

Today, there is much debate about including an HPV vaccine in the arsenal of treatments against cervical cancer. Gardasil, manufactured by Merck, Inc., is perhaps the best known of these vaccines. It has been recommended for girls as young as age 9, and is administered in a series of three shots. The vaccine protects against four of the hundreds of types of HPV, including two that are most often linked to the development of cervical cancer. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus.

However, since its introduction in 2006, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has received more than 20,000 reports of adverse side effects reportedly related to Gardasil. These reports include serious adverse side effects including Guilliane Barre, lupus, seizures, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, among others. There also have been 92 reported deaths among girls who received the Gardasil vaccine.

Also, the Gardasil vaccine has a limited time frame for viability. Studies indicate the drug is not effective for more than about five years. However, according to statistics collected by the National Cancer Institute, cancer of the cervix tends to occur during midlife. Half the women diagnosed are between 35 and 55 years of age, and it rarely affects women younger than 20. So, for many of the young girls being vaccinated, the protection will wear off long before they are at risk for cervical cancer and, for many, long before they even become sexually active.

A Pap smear will usually detect cervical abnormalities and allow for early treatment. The NCCC points out that most women who develop cervical cancer have never had a Pap test, or have not had one in the three to five years prior to developing cervical cancer.

Because Gardasil and other HPV vaccines only protect against a very limited number of the many strains of HPV, it is imperative for women who choose to be vaccinated to still include a Pap smear in their regular line of defense against cervical cancer.

Sources:
National Cervical Cancer Coalition
National Cancer Institute

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

Additionally, the U. S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have thousands of reports filed by patients that indicate the drug could be linked to serious side effects. While the most commonly reported side effects are minor, such as swelling or redness at the injection site, fainting and nausea, some reports reflect a more dire outcome.

Patients have reported the development of severe adverse side effects after receiving the drug, including Guilliane Barre syndrome, Lupus, seizures, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. There also have been 92 reports of deaths among girls who received the Gardasil vaccine. While these serious adverse events have not been conclusively linked to Gardasil, many researchers say the drug calls for more testing and stronger warnings.

In fact, one of the researchers who led the development of two HPV vaccines, Dr. Diane Harper, told an audience of medical professionals in 2009 that she feels the vaccine is largely unnecessary, and that it has never been fully tested on females under the age of 15. She pointed out that the HPV virus is the most common sexually transmitted virus, and that most HPV infections are cleared naturally by the body’s immune system without any harmful effect.

Dr. Harper also pointed out that any abnormalities in the cervix that may be caused by HPV can be easily detected and treated with regular Pap tests.

If the results of the recent NIH study hold true, however, adolescent girls who feel protected will have less concern about contracting HPV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and may use less caution in protecting themselves or seeking regular preventative treatment.

Source: Reuters

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

But in at least two news interviews after the debate, Bachmann told reporters Gardasil was linked to mental retardation as a possible side effect. She says she received this information from a parent she spoke with after the debate, whose child had received the Gardasil vaccine. This account left medical experts scratching their heads, as mental retardation is not listed among the adverse events currently reported in connection with Gardasil.

The controversy is leaving many wondering, did Bachmann simply misunderstand the adverse event described to her by a young girl’s distraught mother, or is she trying to sensationalize her story? Perhaps even more importantly, what are the risks associated with Gardasil?

Since Gardasil’s introduction in 2006, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has received more than 20,000 reports of adverse side effects related to Gardasil. These reports do include serious adverse side effects including Guillain Barre syndrome, lupus, seizures, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, among others. There also have been 92 reported deaths among girls who received the Gardasil vaccine.

In 2009, Dr. Diane Harper, one of the lead researchers in the development of two HPV vaccines, told an audience of medical professionals that in her opinion Gardasil is actually largely unnecessary. Almost all HPV infections are cleared naturally by the body’s immune system without harmful effect, she pointed out. In fact, Harper says, the rate of cervical cancer in the U.S. is so low, that vaccination is not expected to reduce the rate of cervical cancer in the U.S. at all.

Add to that, the vaccine has not been proven to last more than 5 years. In order for there to be true prevention, the vaccine would have to last a lifetime. For the target audience, 11-12-year-old girls, the vaccine is not likely to last long enough to protect them when they do become sexually active. However, cervical abnormalities that may indicate a risk of cervical cancer are still easily detectable through the use of regular pap smears. And, unlike Gardasil, pap smears have no risk of adverse event and cost only a fraction of the cost of Gardasil.

Despite the questions, by October 2009 the FDA had expanded the use of Gardasil in the U.S., approving it to treat boys and young men ages 9-26 for the prevention of genital warts, throat and anal cancers linked to HPV, as well as to curtail the spread of HPV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 32 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed in the United States since about September 2006.

Though Michele Bachmann’s attempt to point out the risks of Gardasil may not have been artful, she should be applauded for her attempt to spotlight the problems with Gardasil. Gardasil is a vaccination that is costly, potentially dangerous, and likely ineffective at preventing cancer. The cost and the risk of injury far outweigh any benefits. Rather than encouraging vaccination, the wiser course would be to proceed with great caution in the vaccination of young girls and boys.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

However, since its introduction, Gardasil, which is manufactured by Merck & Co., has come under scrutiny following thousands of reports of serious adverse side effects tied to the drug. There also have been more than 80 instances of deaths following the Gardasil vaccine. The drug company and doctors say there is currently no way to conclusively link the drug to these side effects and deaths, but parents are not so sure.

In 2009, Dr. Diane Harper, one of the lead researchers in the development of two HPV vaccines, told an audience of medical professionals that in her opinion Gardasil is actually largely unnecessary. Almost all HPV infections are cleared naturally by the body’s immune system without harmful effect, she pointed out. The Gardasil vaccine targets only four of hundreds of strains of HPV and, of those, only two that are most high-risk of causing cervical cancer. Also, in the case of young women, regular Pap tests can usually identify any changes in cervical cells, and treatment administered before they become cancerous.

The vaccine was rushed to market before phase 3 clinical trials were complete. But in the months following the vaccine’s introduction, the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) began tracking reports of minor adverse events, but also serious reactions including anaphylaxis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, transverse myelitis, pancreatitis and venous thromboembolic events (blood clots).

Because the VAERS is a voluntary reporting system, many physicians and researchers believe the actual incidence of events linked to this vaccine may be much higher.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 32 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed in the United States since about September 2010. Now that the market has been expanded to include children of both genders, it’s frightening to imagine the possible consequences.

Parents who are considering whether to include Gardasil when choosing vaccinations for their child should ask themselves, “Is the relatively limited benefit of this vaccine really worth the risk?”

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

The campaign is aimed at two senior scientists in the U.S. government – Dr. Mark Schiffman, who SaneVax identifies as a senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the official medical monitor of the HPV vaccine clinical trial; and Dr. Lauri Markowitz, a senior scientific officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who is it says is responsible for instituting a post-licensure marketing program for HPV vaccines. Supporters of stronger regulations also are sending letters to their Congressional representatives.

According to the release, the letters demand the government “comply with the law and immediately implement a reliable post-licensure monitoring program to validate the benefits of the HPV vaccine, being marketed as a cancer vaccine, indeed outweigh its risks to consumers.”

Since Gardasil was approved for use in girls beginning as early as age 9, in 2006, there have been numerous reports of serious adverse events linked to the drug. Side effects reported following the vaccination include blood clots, immune deficiency disorders like Lupus, brain inflammation, seizures and even death. Because most side effects are reported through the voluntary Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), some advocates believe the incidence of serious side effects is higher than officially reported, as some victims would not think to link the drug to later health problems, and so these problems go unreported.

Manufacturer Merck maintains the drug is safe, and says that there is no conclusive link between the drug and later adverse health events. In fact, the drug recently received expanded approval by the FDA for use in boys and young men, for the prevention of HPV, and the reduction of incidence of penile, anal and oral cancers.

For more information, and sample letters, visit the website “Gardasil and Unexplained Deaths.” This site is operated by Emily Tarsel, whose daughter, Chris, who died days after receiving the Gardasil vaccine.

Visit SANEVax online.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

Austin says drug-maker Merck could not possibly be able to predict the long-term effects on the pre-pubescent girls that are its primary focus, because it was not tested on a large enough sample of children in that age group. The longest test trial, she says, was less than four years. This, despite the fact that the vaccine maker states the drug is only effective for a maximum of five years.

HPV, the virus linked to cervical cancer, is a sexually transmitted virus. This means that girls who receive the vaccine at age 11, or even younger, will most likely not even be sexually active during the vaccine’s peak effectiveness, based on Merck’s own information.

She writes, “This means my daughter will need at least four booster shots after the age of 11. What the drug makers do not mention is that this is the most expensive vaccine ever made, at $360 per three-shot series. They do not tell me about the vaccine’s known carcinogenic and estrogenic compounds that will be injected into the body of my pre-pubescent little girl, or the fact that the shot has not been tested to find out if it can potentially cause more cases of cancer than it is supposed to prevent.”

Additionally, Austin feels the drug maker is downplaying the risk of serious side effects. Statistics being reported to the Vaccine Adverse Effect Response System include children collapsing after receiving the shot, and reports of facial paralysis, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and even death among girls who have received the shot.

While the drug maker argues there is not sufficient evidence to link these events to the Gardasil vaccine, Austin asks how many parents really want to take that chance with their child’s health.

She wonders, “Can I refuse this dangerous, experimental treatment if I do not want to have my child used in this way, so the pharmaceutical company (which will profit approximately 2 billion dollars a year on this vaccine) can find out exactly what it will do to little girls not even at puberty yet?”

Austin suggests a better solution: “Why not use the billions of dollars that will be going to Merck, and instead fund a campaign to make HPV screening and Pap smears (far cheaper and more effective tools for fighting cervical cancer) free and accessible to everyone?”

Since the time this article was published, the FDA also approved Gardasil for use in boys and young men, as well as girls.  HPV screening would also be effective in preventing the spread of this virus among boys.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

In 2010, the Garasil vaccine was approved for use in boys and young men, to prevent the spread of HPV, which is a sexually transmitted virus. In this instance, the drug’s manufacturer, Merck, promotes the vaccine as an additional safeguard against oral, penile and anal cancers.

Watch the CNN video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source:
www.VaccinationEducation.com

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

The vaccine, which is touted as a prevention for four types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that could cause cervical cancer, has been linked to thousands of serious adverse event reports and more than 80 deaths. Leigh O’Dell, a lawyer in our Mass Torts Section, is working on a number of cases on behalf of clients who were harmed by Gardasil.

“We believe that efforts such as this film, ‘One More Girl,’ are vital to getting the word out about the dangers of Gardasil,” she says. “We are pleased to be able to support this worthwhile project and trust that many will learn about the unreasonable risks associated with Gardasil prior to having their daughters vaccinated.”

The film’s title is a play on the effective Gardasil advertising campaign, “One Less,” which encouraged girls to be vaccinated so they could be “one less girl with cervical cancer.” The drug is manufactured and marketed by Merck & Co. Filmmakers Ryan and David Richardson decided to make the film after their sister, Donielle Richardson, suffered an adverse reaction after receiving the vaccine. They found thousands of other cases of girls suffering serious illnesses, or who had died, after receiving the vaccine.

Their production company is named ThinkExist Productions. They have partnered with two Gardasil advocacy groups, TruthAboutGardasil.org and SANE VAX Inc., to develop the film, which will share personal stories of adverse reactions and deaths linked to the drug, and also will cover the social and political trail of deception over the global mass marketing of HPV vaccines. The film is expected to begin production this summer, with release tentatively scheduled in 2012.

For more information, visit the official film website at www.onemoregirlfilm.com.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

Julie Smith was alarmed when her daughter brought home a flyer from her school, notifying parents that all girls in grade 8 would be addressed by the public health nurse about the vaccine. Smith was concerned that important information about the sexually transmitted HPV was being presented to 12-year-old girls, instead of their parents.

“It is a decision that should be made by adults,” she told The Timaru Herald. “At the very least, parents should have been invited to attend the meeting to hear what information is being given to their children.”

She says parents were asked to sign a permission slip only to notify the school if their daughter could NOT attend the presentation. It should have been the other way around, she says, with permission slips required in order to attend the meeting. She worried that some girls might forget to talk to their parents about the meeting to have the letter signed, and might then attend the meeting without their parents’ knowledge or consent.

The website founded by Ms. Smith is called “Off The Radar.” She lists the reason for founding the site as follows:

This site was born out of the frustration of a parent who wished to make an “informed” decision about Gardasil for their daughter, and the difficulty they incurred at not being told the complete story about the vaccine by “The Ministry of Health and medical establishment”. To have a “one stop shop” of information for parents concerning what is being put into their children, whether by vaccine or food, this site endeavours to tell “what they didn’t want you to hear.”

Visit this site at http://offtheradar.co.nz/.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

Gardasil, manufactured by Merck, is promoted as a preventive treatment against cervical cancer, which is caused by certain types of HPV, which is transmitted through sexual contact. Gardasil protects against four types of HPV, including two that indicate the highest risk of causing cervical cancer. However, the vaccine also has been linked to serious side effects including lupus, autoimmune disorders, seizures and even death following injections.

The news story notes that vaccination rates in Canterbury are less than half that in some other cities, such as Auckland and Wellington, where immunization rates are nearly 40 percent. However, vaccination rates are higher in Canterbury for older girls. Statistics indicate parents are concerned about vaccinating their daughters before the girls are sexually active, but not when they are as young as 12.

Source: The Press

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 32 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed in the United States since about September 2010. They argue that the more than 17,000 reports of serious adverse events – including things like immune deficiencies, Lupus, seizures, and blood clots in addition to the reports of deaths following administration of the vaccine – make up a relatively small percentage of the total number of doses given.

But do parents really want to take a gamble on that kind of risk?

Until recently the vaccine has been given exclusively to girls, with no recommendations for its use in boys. Now that the market has been expanded to include children of both genders, it’s frightening to imagine the possible consequences.

According to information about HPV found at WebMD, the infection is very common, affecting about 20 million people in the U.S. HPV could cause genital warts or abnormal changes in the cervix and other genital areas that can lead to cancer. However, for most people, the body will clear HPV infection on its own. Women are encouraged to get a gynecological examination and Pap smear annually as the best way to detect and treat pre-cancerous cells, whether or not they have ever received the Gardasil vaccine.

Because the vaccine only prevents against a fraction of the types of HPV, and because the vaccine’s efficacy is only 5 years from the point of vaccination, receiving the shots does not guarantee a person will never develop HPV.

Parents who are considering whether to include Gardasil when choosing vaccinations for their child should ask themselves, “Is the relatively limited benefit of this vaccine really worth the risk?”

Source: Yahoo! News

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

Since its introduction in 2006, the Gardasil vaccine has been linked to a number of side effects, some serious, like lupus, seizures, paralysis, blood clots and others. There also have been more than 70 deaths reported following administration of the Gardasil vaccine, which is given in a series of three injections over a six month period.

However, the coroner in this recent case, Michel Ferland, is concerned because it appears the victim died as a result of drowning. She was found in the bathtub of her family home. According to a report in the Toronto Sun, the girl’s mother said she had a number of adverse reactions following her first dose of the Gardasil vaccine, including dizziness and memory loss. She was treated for those symptoms at a Montreal hospital. Two months later, she received the second in the series of vaccinations. Days later, she was dead.

Is it possible that a recurrence of side effects like dizziness struck the young teen, making her incapable of leaving the bath or calling for help, resulting in her drowning? Or might her death be more directly related to another serious side effect of the drug?

Ferland is concerned enough about a possible link between the Gardasil vaccine and the young girl’s death that he is calling for further studies of the drug to be conducted in Canada, and he is asking the Canadian health agency to provide better information to patients about possible side effects of the drug. Health Canada approved the drug in 2006.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

The approval expands the audience for the Merck & Col. manufactured drug to include all people – boys and girls – ages 9 through 26. Gardasil protects against four kinds of HPV – 6, 11, 16 and 18 – that cause up to 90 percent of anal cancer cases. Recently, Gardasil’s use was expanded to include prevention of vulvar and vaginal cancer in girls and young women, and for the prevention of genital warts in both males and females.

While the Gardasil vaccine is “recommended” by the FDA for the prevention of cervical cancer, it does not yet have that same approval for universal vaccination for males. The risk of anal cancer is higher for homosexual men who engage in sex with other men.

Approved in 2006 for the prevention of cervical cancer only, the Gardasil vaccine has since been linked to serious adverse events, including blood clots, autoimmune disorders and more than 30 reports of death following the injections. The vaccine is given in a series of three injections over a six-month period.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

Some have already suggested boys ought to be included in Gardasil vaccinations, in order to limit the possibility of their spreading the virus to their partners when they become sexually active. The FDA has recently approved the use of Gardasil in boys, but only to prevent genital warts. HPV also has now been linked to the development of penile and anal cancer.

According to a recent story on Forbes. com, the link between HPV and throat cancer has only come about in the last few years, with researchers believing it may be linked to oral sex. According to the report, there are approximately 11,300 HPV-related throat cancers diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Throat cancer has traditionally been linked to smoking and drinking alcohol.

However, since Gardasil’s introduction in 2006 for the treatment of cervical cancer, there have been a number of troubling developments. The drug has been linked to a number of serious adverse events reported by young women shortly after receiving the vaccine, which is usually given in a series of three shots. Adverse events have been reported after receiving one or more of the shots. These side effects have included such serious problems as blood clots, seizures and auto-immune disorders. There also have been more than 50 reports of young women who have died shortly after receiving the Gardasil vaccine.

Even if there are no side effects, some physicians are questioning the benefit of the vaccine. About 90 percent of HPV infections are cleared naturally by the body, never developing into pre-cancerous lesions or cancer. For girls, regular Pap tests can usually detect any pre-cancerous lesions and treat them before they develop into cancer. And, generally all papilloma viruses are slow-moving, with any pre-cancerous lesions they cause developing over time, more easy to find and diagnose before they cause a problem.

Unfortunately, it is not as easy to detect such lesions in the throat, which some researchers argue is a positive in favor of the HPV vaccination. However, it also makes studies that would determine the effectiveness of a vaccine like Gardasil for the treatment of throat cancer much more difficult to determine. Without effective clinical trials with easy to measure results, it is unlikely the FDA would grant approval to the vaccine for this type of use.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

It’s a rhetorical question, but it makes you wonder if it’s somehow more permissible to be killed or injured by a drug than it is by a defective automobile.

Merck has lobbied federal regulators hard to make Gardasil mandatory for all American schoolgirls. Fortunately, the drug giant’s vision of requiring every girl in the nation to receive its three-tiered shot fell short of becoming law. Although many states require sixth-grade girls to receive the shot, parents have the legal right to refuse it. But very few of them know about the drug’s risks and how it has harmed and occasionally killed perfectly healthy girls.

According to the Washington Examiner, 20-year-old Mary Katherine Davison of Frederick, Maryland, became dizzy and nauseated after receiving her second Gardasil shot in January 2008. Although her two younger sisters had no reactions, Mary Katherine suffered a massive stroke and spent 2 months in rehab re-learning how to walk. Her mother, Mary Davison, said that she made no connection between her daughter’s stroke and Gardasil until Mary Katherine’s doctor refused to schedule her for the final Gardasil shot.

Days later, 17-year-old Jessica Ericzon of Alexandria Bay, New York, collapsed and died on the bathroom floor just 40 hours after receiving her third Gardasil shot. Jessica had complained of pain and dizziness after her second shot, but sadly nobody connected her symptoms to Garsdasil.

21-year-old Christina Tarsell of Sparks, Maryland, received her third Gardasil shot and spent more then 2 weeks feeling dizzy, nauseated and fatigued before she died.

“We had no clue that these were all symptoms of something,” her mother told the Washington Examiner. In all these cases, autopsies and toxicology screenings failed to determine the cause of death.

Naturally, Merck defends its Gardasil vaccine. The pharmaceutical giant also has a powerful ally in the CDC, which officially reported in 2008 that Gardasil recipients didn’t experience negative reactions any more than non-recipients.

That claim, however, was countered by the National Vaccine Information Center, which used the same CDC data to show that Gardasil was linked to “at least four times as many death and cardiac arrest reports” as Cervarix and “seemed to be associated with an unusually high number of reports of atypical collapse.”

“CDC is still saying this is a safe vaccine. With Pap smears, there was no medical reason for fast-tracking FDA approval. They made it (cervical cancer) sound like it was some kind of pandemic,” Christina Tarsell’s mother, Emily, told the Washington Examiner, adding that nobody from the CDC will respond to her calls.

Source: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/Time-for-the-truth-about-Gardasil-89466882.html

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

First, the vaccines are known to have serious risks. The threat of blood clots, seizure, paralysis, outbreak of warts, and sudden death has been documented in thousands of adverse event reports obtained by Judicial Watch under Freedom of Information law. The risks may be small for most of the women and girls who receive the vaccines (administered in a series of three shots), but they are nonetheless real.

Girls and women who are not sexually active are not at risk of contracting HPV. Merck lobbyists pushed to make the shots mandatory for all school girls as young as 9 years old. However, unless those 9-year-olds are sexually active, their chances of becoming infected with HPV and developing cervical cancer are zero.

Women who receive regular pap screenings are at minimal risk of developing cervical cancer because testing will detect precancers if they are present. Precancerous cells can be treated safely and effectively with traditional therapies to prevent the development of cancer.

The incidence of cervical cancer among women who do not receive screening or vaccination is about 90 per 100,000. According to Dr. Diane Harper, who is widely regarded as the top expert on HPV and the Gardasil vaccine, “the combination of HPV vaccine and screening in the U.S. will not decrease the incidence of cervical cancer to any measurable degree at the population level.” That assertion contradicts the claims of some HPV vaccine advocates.

So who might HPV vaccines benefit? Sexually active women who don’t receive regular pap tests would benefit the most, but only if they are willing to assume the risk of being either injured by the vaccine or, in the rare event, killed. For the vast majority of women, the risks of receiving Gardasil or Cervarix vaccinations simply outweigh any benefits.

Sources:

http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?l=1&t=0&id=23815

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/3228514/Concerned-mum-sets-up-vaccine-site

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

Pap smears are screening tests used by gynecologists to detect cervical cancer cells. Changes in the cell processes signal the development of cervical cancer and prompt the physician to start treatment.

According to Dr. Harper, “Pap smears have never killed anyone. Pap smears are an effective screening tool to prevent cervical cancer. Pap smears alone prevent more cervical cancers than can the vaccines alone.”

“Gardasil is associated with serious adverse events, including death,” Dr. Harper explained. “If Gardasil is given to 11-year-olds, and the vaccine does not last at least 15 years, then there is no benefit – and only risk – for the young girl.”

Without boosters, Gardasil vaccines remain effective for five years.

“Vaccinating will not reduce the population incidence of cervical cancer if the woman continues to get Pap screening throughout her life,” Dr. Harper added.

Dr. Harper told Yerman in a written communication that she disagreed with Merck’s campaign to make the vaccine mandatory for school-age girls.

“The decision to be vaccinated must be the woman’s (or parent’s if it is for a young child), and not the physician’s or any board of health, as the vaccination contains personal risk that only the person can value.”

The choice to receive the Gardasil vaccine “is entirely a personal value judgment,” Dr. Harper said.

When asked about Merck’s “one less” marketing campaign, Dr. Harper told Yerman that it “was designed to incite the greatest fear possible in parents, so that there would be uptake of the vaccine.”

“If women were participating in Pap screening, or if as a parent you educated your daughter to seek Pap screening at the appropriate age (21 years) for her entire life, then she would have been very unlikely to be at risk for being “one” and would not be “one less,” Dr. Harper told Yerman.

“She would not have been ‘one’ to begin with!”

To read the entire interview with Dr. Harper, please click here.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

As head of Merck’s $5 billion global vaccine arm, Dr. Gerberding will likely be responsible for revitalizing Gardasil’s waning sales. Merck won FDA approval for the vaccine in 2007 and immediately launched an aggressive campaign to make Gardasil shots mandatory for school girls as young as 11. However, the ambitious plan ultimately failed, thanks to the outcry of consumer and health advocates who challenged the vaccine’s safety profile.

Other critics say that the Gardasil vaccine is useless and that its risks exceed its benefits.

Dr. Charlotte Haug, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association criticized Gardasil in an editorial published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

“Whether a risk is worth taking depends not only on the absolute risk, but on the relationship between the potential risk and the potential benefit. If the potential benefits are substantial, most individuals would be willing to accept the risks. But the net benefit of the HPV vaccine to a woman is uncertain. Even if persistently infected with HPV, a woman most likely will not develop cancer if she is regularly screened…”

Dr. Diane Harper, the lead researcher in HPV vaccine development, announced at a conference in October that she considered Gardasil a useless vaccine, and that Merck’s efforts in pushing the Gardasil vaccine amount to what she called “a great big public health experiment.”

Gardasil’s side effects include fainting, redness and inflammation at the vaccination site, dizziness, and fever. However, the most dangerous side effect reported so far has been an increase in the risk and rate of blood clots. According to JAMA, blood clots resulting from Gardasil may have caused 32 unconfirmed deaths so far.

Gardasil sales have been floundering recently, down 22 percent in the third quarter at $311 million.

Dr. Gerberding’s controversial tenure at the CDC was rife with allegations that she put party politics before science and public health, and that her strategic decisions crippled the agency’s ability to respond effectively to public health crises. In December 2005, five former CDC directors jointly wrote a letter to Dr. Gerberding, expressing alarm over the departure of key staff members and warning that her leadership jeopardized the agency’s ability to perform effectively.

If the concerns of the CDC’s former directors and leading scientists are valid, then Dr. Gerberding may be the right person to shore up Gardasil’s place in the drug market.

“As a preeminent authority in public health, infectious diseases and vaccines, Dr. Gerberding is the ideal choice to lead Merck’s engagement with organizations around the world that share our commitment to the use of vaccines to prevent disease and save lives,” Merck Chief Executive Officer Richard Clark said in a statement.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

The directive went into effect in July of last year, mandating Gardasil shots for immigrant females despite mounting evidence that the shots could cause serious injury and death. The shots were also required of females who posed no risk of contracting or spreading HPV to the wider population.

In determining which vaccines immigrants are required to have, the CDC’s rule of thumb is that the vaccine must target viruses that could potentially cause an outbreak and viruses that either have been eliminated from the United States or are in the process of elimination. HPV does not fit any of the criteria.

Immigrants are still required to undergo a series of 15 other vaccinations before gaining U.S. resident status and citizenship. Neither federal health officials nor the pharmaceutical companies have tested the safety of vaccinations in combination. No research has been conducted on the interaction of Gardasil vaccines with other vaccines and what adverse effects such cocktails could have on the recipient.

Soon after the CDC added Gardasil to the list of required vaccines for immigrants, more than 100 advocacy groups representing women, immigrants, and consumer health challenged the requirement, protesting that it was unfair to require HPV vaccines for immigrants but not all U.S. citizens.

Merck had been lobbying hard to make the vaccines mandatory for all school-age American girls, but their plans were strongly opposed by an unlikely band of abstinence-only conservatives, Big Pharma critics, individual parents and parent groups, a growing anti-vaccine movement, and a number of consumer advocacy and women’s rights groups.

The 3-shot series costs between $300 and $1,000, putting a financial strain on immigrants already burdened by thousands of dollars in application fees and mandatory medical exams. Mandatory Gardasil vaccinations would have provided Merck with a revenue stream of at least $4 billion annually.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site

Although the committee did not press for the use of Gardasil in men, it did advise U.S. doctors to use the vaccine at their discretion. It also recommended that the shot be included in the federally funded Vaccines for Children program for boys 9 to 18 years old.

The FDA approved Gardasil on October 16 for use in preventing genital warts in males age 9 to 26. Men may carry HPV and never know about it unless it develops into warts, and even then there are no long-term effects. On the other hand, women infected with genital warts are at risk of developing cervical cancers.

Gardasil only protects against 4 strains of HPV that cause cancer and 2 strains that cause warts.

Vaccinating boys and men with Gardasil would primarily be done to reduce the number of females exposed to HPV. However, the serious risks that the Gardasil shots carry, combined with their steep cost – about $500 for a complete regimen – leave many health professionals and patients questioning whether the vaccines are worth it.

Since 2006, when the FDA approved Gardasil for use in females, more than 15,000 girls have reported adverse side effects to the FDA’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Reactions that have been officially reported include brain inflammation, seizures, blood clots, paralysis, lupus, Guilliane Barre Syndrome, and several others. 44 deaths attributed to the vaccine have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Merck, which stands to earn billions from the shots, maintains that the vaccine is safe and that the benefits outweigh the risks. But for thousands of girls and women injured by Gardasil, the vaccines were anything but harmless – a fact made more frustratingly tragic by the lead developer’s own admission that Gardasil is ineffective and unnecessary.

SOURCE: the Truth about Gardasil">Beasley Allen Case Site