Problems With Gardasil

Gardasil is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Merck, and is the first-ever vaccine against cancer. Gardasil prevents cervical cancer in women by building immunity against the human papillomavirus (HPV), a cluster of different viruses linked to cervical cancer and cervical warts. HPV can also be dormant and not produce disease at all. The hope is that Gardasil will prevent women from becoming infected with the virus, and thus prevent cancer. Since the vaccine was introduced in 2006, Judicial Watch reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received many complaints about problems with Gardasil, making its use controversial, especially since some physicians believe the risk is not worth the exposure to Gardasil.

History

• Merck made headlines when it introduced Gardasil in 2006. As soon as the vaccine made its debut, however, problems surfaced. Both the CDC and FDA report many complaints that Gardasil has caused side effects ranging from severe headaches to paralysis and death among otherwise healthy teenage girls who received the series of injections.

Effects

• Problems with Gardasil include severe headaches, flu-like symptoms, and neurological symptoms. If the neurological symptoms appear, they tend to be severe. They can include numbness in the extremities, seizures, and paralysis.

Considerations

• When considering the problems with Gardasil, it is worthwhile to note that the problems reported occur in otherwise healthy young girls and women. The vaccine is regularly given to females age 9 to 20 in a series of three injections. None of the girls who experienced side effects or died had any prior medical problems. All began having symptoms after an injection of Gardisil, with many reporting symptoms after the second or third injection in the series.

Expert Insight

• Dr. Joseph Mercola, a medical doctor and outspoken critic of the pharmaceutical industry, claims that Gardasil is not necessary. In 90 percent of cases, the body's own defenses are sufficient to fight the virus that causes cervical cancer. According to Dr. Mercola, the potential problems of Gardasil outweigh the possible benefits. He even claims that it is almost 100 percent possible to avoid catching the virus in the first place.

Warning

• Parents considering Gardasil for their teen and preteen daughters must know the potential side effects. The most commonly reported side effects include headaches (sometimes severe). Other side effects include aches and pains similar to the flu, numbness, and paralysis. Rare but dangerous side effects include seizures. If girls experience side effects, the situation should be immediately reported to their physician, and/or they should go to the emergency room for medical treatment.