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Problems With Gardasil HPV Vaccine

HPV, or human papillomavirus disease, is a virus that causes genital warts. It can be contracted via unprotected intercourse, specifically genital contact. In women, it is also the primary cause of cervical cancer. Gardasil, a vaccine created by Merck, offers protection from four of the most common viral strains.

  1. About Gardasil

    • According to Dr. Robert W. Sears, M.D., author of "The Vaccine Book," Gardasil "protects against the two most common strains of genital wart-causing HPV and the two main strains of cervical cancer-causing HPV." This vaccine was approved in 2006 by the FDA. The Gardasil vaccine is a genetically engineered vaccine in which yeast cells are taught to produce the outer proteins of the various HPV viruses. These yeast cells are then broken up and the proteins are filtered and chemically purified, then combined with aluminum sulfate, water, saline, L-histidine, polysorbate and sodium borate.

    Birth Defects

    • While the reported side effect research on this new vaccine is limited, recent studies have revealed a trend of increased birth defects in women who become pregnant within one month of taking the vaccine. In a recent report, 20,000 women were studied, with half given the vaccine and half the placebo. Of those women, 2,200 became pregnant a month after taking the vaccine (this was comprised of half of the test and half of the placebo group). Within that group of 2,200, five of the women who were given the vaccine had birth defects with their fetuses, as opposed to no-birth defects in the placebo group. The birth defects involved the intestine, kidneys, hips or feet.

    Blood Clotting

    • In a study recently released by the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that 12,424 participants experienced adverse events related to the vaccine. The two primary events reported were fainting and dangerous blood clots. Neither of these adverse events has been published in the vaccine literature.

    Autoimmune Side Effects

    • In another study, it was found that out of 12,000 girls who received the vaccine, nine experienced arthritis side effects. This study has been listed in the vaccine literature. According to the literature, such a finding may indicate an autoimmune disease.

    Length of Protection

    • Another problem with the Gardasil vaccine is that the length of time this vaccine actively protects young women from HPV is unknown. According to Dr. Sears, "Vaccination at age 12 may not provide protection from HPV all the way through college. We know now that it lasts for at least four years."

    Amount of Protection

    • According to the Centers for Disease Control, Gardasil only protects against four strains out of the 40 types of HPV. This being considered, many critics and experts worry that this might cause the less-common strains to become more prevalent. If this occurs, those who were vaccinated may develop a false sense of security and be more likely to have unprotected sex, resulting in vaccinated people still contracting the virus.

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