Erin Brockovich takes on Gardasil

This vaccine has only been on my peripheral radar because they aren’t trying to shoot up my infant with it (yet).  But, I do have friends and family with young daughters approaching the age where their doctor may insist they need this poison.

Reasons NOT to get the Gardasil vaccine for your daughter:

1. It is NOT the most effective way to avoid or find Cervical Cancer. 
   Cervical Cancer is one of the most easily detected cancers to find early and treat well.  The answer is yearly pap tests.  Even if you get the vaccine you still need yearly pap tests.  Pap tests do not have poisons like Gardasil does.
2. It is NOT a cancer vaccine
   This is a horrible marketing scheme that borders on (or has crossed the line to) being blatant mis-information.  Gardasil is NOT a cancer vaccine.  It is a vaccine intended to protect against a virus called HPV which is believed to cause some types of cervical cancer.  A+B does NOT equal Q.
3. It is a mildly effective vaccine at best
   There are 150 known types of human papilloma virus (HPV).  Of the 150 types there are 15 considered high risk and 3 probable high risk for developing into cervical cancer.  According to the American Cancer Society, other risk factors for cervical cancer include  smoking, HIV infection, chlamydia infection, dietary factors, hormonal contraception, multiple pregnancies, exposure to the hormonal drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) and a family history of cervical cancer.  Gardasil protects against 4 types of HPV.  Two types that can cause genital warts and another 2 types that are high risk for cervical cancer.  Crunch some numbers and Gardasil hardly seems to be the holy grail of cervical cancer safety. 
4. It is a deadly vaccine at worst
   The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) has logged over 9,749 adverse reactions after receiving Gardasil.  The CDC states that VAERS consists of only 1-10% of actual cases.  The FDA approved Gardasil in June of 2006…these VAERS numbers are from June 2008.  At that time 20 deaths had been reported.  Other serious reactions include Guillian Barre syndrome, seizures, pulmonary embolism, thombrosis, as well as fainting, nausea, and vomiting.  Another wonderful side effect is developing genital warts which has been reported in 78 cases.  According to the Merck product manufacturer insert, there was 1 case of juvenile arthritis, 2 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, 5 cases of arthritis, and 1 case of reactive arthritis out of 11,813 Gardasil recipients.
5. It was approved without adequate testing
   Initial testing will be complete on Gardasil in September of 2009…3 years after its approval.  NO LONG TERM STUDIES have been conducted.  The manufacturer does not even know how long the vaccine will protect girls. 
6. The average age of Cervical Cancer diagnosis is 48
7. Most infections with HPV clear up on their own  
   “The vast majority of women clear or suppress HPV to levels not associated with CIN II or III and for most women this occurs promptly.  The duration of HPV positivity (which is directly related to the likelihood of developing a high grade lesion or cervical cancer) is shorter, and the likelihood of clearance is higher, in younger women.”³ Seventy percent of women clear the virus spontaneously after 18 months and 90 % clear the virus after 2 years.⁴  Vaccinating children against HPV with a vaccine that is of unknown duration of efficacy may only postpone their exposure to an age which they are less likely clear the infection on their own and be subject to more severe disease, including the cervical cancer which the vaccine is supposedly preventing. This would require an unknown number of boosters and is a setup for complacency in the older population that is a recipe for disaster (source).” 

Erin Brockovich (yes that one from the movie with Julia Roberts) is researching for a class action law suit against Merck, Gardasil’s manufacturer.  If you believe you or your child had an adverse effect visit her site for more information.