Gardasil, Merck Sharp & Dohme’s cervical cancer vaccine caused an uproar in 2006 when it was marketed to girls and women aged 9 to 26. It is estimated that over 25 million young women in the US have received the vaccine which was designed to prevent 4 types of HPV (Human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16 and 18) which are associated with the risk of genital warts and cause about 70 percent of all cervical cancers.
The vaccine manufacturer’s recommendations have also been extended to boys. But one may (or may not if you read this blog) be surprised to know that there are questions being raised about the safety of Gardasil. A constellation of auto-immune disease symptoms (over 16,000 reports) including: Rheumetoid arthritis and lupus have been reported in otherwise healthy girls and there have been 50 deaths. Well 16,000 adverse events out of approximately 25 million isn’t a lot at all so we’ll just give Merck a pass on that one, shall we? Unless of course your daughter or loved one is one of the 16,000.
Questions have been raised as to whether Gardasil was tested adequately for safety in girls under age 15. Shocking, we’re aware. Not that it matters but…the first quart profits for Gardasil were $390 million. Gardasil is predicted to jump to $3 billion in profits by 2012.
~D.M. Schwadron, Esquire