Gardasil is a vaccination by Merck to help protect young women from four types of Human Papillomavirus, or HPV. According to the CDC, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the world. Chronic HPV infection is thought to be responsible for nearly all cervical cancers, most anal and vaginal cancers, and some vulvar, penile, throat, and mouth cancers. Out of 40 types of genital HPV, there are approximately 13 high-risk types associated with cancer.
QUESTIONABLE DURATION OF PROTECTION
The duration of protection of the vaccination has not yet been established. It is not determined whether protection will last three months, three years, or 30 years after the series of three immunizations is administered. With that being said, an individual who receives the series of Gardasil vaccinations has no idea how long they're protected for, and has no idea if and when they will need to be vaccinated again in the future.
ONLY TWO HIGH-RISK TYPES COVERED
While there are approximately 40 known genital HPV types, at least 13 are known to be high-risk that can lead to cancer. Others are low-risk types that can cause genital warts without carrying the risk of cancer. Of the four HPV types covered by Gardasil, two are low-risk, types 6 and 11; the other two types are high-risk, types 16 and 18. While a vaccinated individual may be protected against two high-risk types, she remains susceptible to at least 11 more.
SIDE EFECTS OF THE VACCINATION
Common side effects of the vaccination include pain where the injection was given, fever, headache and nausea. The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, also known as VAERS, estimates that only up to 10 percent of all adverse health outcomes occurring after vaccination are actually reported. From a 2008 report, there were a total of 10,151 adverse effects of Gardasil. Out of that total, 5,021 individuals who received the vaccination ended up in the emergency room, 458 were hospitalized, 152 had life threatening adverse effects, 2,017 did not recover, and 260 were reported as disabled due to complications of the vaccination.
According to the 2008 VAERS report, the many adverse health conditions associated with receiving the Gardasil vaccine include blood clots, seizures, cardiac arrest, autoimmune disorders including Lupus, stroke, as well as other symptoms of brain and immune system dysfunction. The most serious complication reported is death.
DEATH IN YOUNG GIRLS
As of May 31, 2010, VAERS shows there have been 53 reports of death among young females who received the Gardasil vaccination since 2006. Because the cause of death was due to complications rather than the administration of the vaccine itself, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend its use in girls starting at age 9, before they become sexually active.
