As we approach the one year anniversary of the approval of Gardasil by the FDA (June 8, 2006), adverse health reports are coming in from around the world about the vaccine intended for young teenage girls to prevent cervical cancers.
In a
Nevada newspaper the other day, this account of an otherwise healthy 14-year old who was rushed to the emergency room after receiving a booster shot of Gardasil. She had no other shots that day. The girl can't use her paralyzed legs and is still on a walker.
Her doctor says she has Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune condition that can lead to paralysis. "An anecdotal report," one doctor old me, "is not a trend." That would be fine, but there are too many other anecdotal reports out there to ignore. The
National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) says that maker, Merck studied Gardasil in fewer than 1,200 girls under the age of 16. And notice the symptoms they warn doctors to look out for:
NVIC is calling on the FDA and CDC to warn parents and doctors that GARDASIL should not be combined with other vaccines and that young girls should be monitored for at least 24 hours for syncopal (collapse/fainting) episodes that can be accompanied by seizure activity, as well as symptoms of tingling, numbness and loss of sensation in the fingers and limbs, all of which should be reported to VAERS immediately."
Using a FOIA on the FDA, the watchdog group, Judicial Watch, has uncovered the data linking three deaths of young women to Gardasil, from blood clots and noted other side effects including paralysis, Bells Palsy and Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The group uncovered the federal report on Gardasil deaths and adverse reactions to Gardasil.
And down under, the health minister is urging calm after dozens of Australian schoolgirls had adverse reactions, including paralysis, following a Gardasil inoculation. For those of you who want to go deeper, the late and esteemed health investigative journalist, Nicholas Regush, noted in this interesting backgrounder that the HPV virus may be correlated to cervical cancer but a cause was never established. Regush is very credible and founded RedFlagsWeekly, now on hiatus.
The other pov can be seen by credible New York Times Personal Health writer Jane E. Brody. Generally good, thoughtful and experienced in such matters, Brody accepts the Merck position on the vaccine. Meanwhile, 14-year old Jessica Vega, as she is not identified, remains hospitalized and paralyzed. Her mother says she gave the girl a Gardasil innoculation because her mother died of cervical cancer. "It was a no brainer," she says.