Government Report Supports Gardisil Efficacy

By Rachel Stockton (rachels@foodconsumer.org)

Cervical cancer, an altogether detectable and treatable disease, is the bane of young women across America.  In the vast majority of cases, the cancer is caused by a virus, HPV, which is sexually transmitted.

HPV also leads to other complications, such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility; it can also cause anal cancer, which was put on the radar screen by actress Farah Fawcett, who died from the disease in June.

All of that to say:  HPV is an atrocious public enemy.  The good news is that a government report has found that Gardasil, the vaccine developed to prevent HPV and resulting cervical cancer in young women, is safe, and seems to have no other side effects aside from those comparable to other vaccinations.

An analysis was done on over 12,000 young women who were vaccinated from June 2006-December 2008; adverse reactions to the injection were reported to the Vaccine Adverse Reporting System, which is a fairly accurate gauge of vaccine efficacy.

According to the government findings, for every 100,000 women vaccinated, it is estimated that 59 women will experience adverse reactions, the most common of which is fainting.

Even though the results from the study are positive, some are still apprehensive about recommending that every 11-12 year old girl in the nation should receive it.  Dr. Deborah Kotz, one of the co-writers of a recent video about the vaccine, admits that she herself is not going to have her daughters become vaccinated until she sees how the long term effects of the drug play out.

Others are cautious about recommending the vaccine to perfectly healthy women for a disease they may or may not be exposed to.  Another factor researchers are concerned about is whether or not it's prudent to recommend a vaccination for a disease that is easily detected through screening and is quite treatable.  No one should die from cervical cancer.

But the fact is, some do.  Some argue that the vaccine is meant to target young women who do not have access to quality health care that would allow them to go for regular screenings and for treatment, should they become ill.

In answer to that, Dr. Sheila Rothman, professor of socioeconomic science at Mailmen School of Public Health, tells the New York Times, the Gardisil campaign assumes that every girl across the nation is at equal risk of contracting HPV.  And such is not the case.

There were some serious reactions to the drug - 20 young women died after getting vaccinated; however, the causes of death among those young women were so disparate that further analysis is necessary to ascertain whether their deaths were completely attributable to the vaccine or not.

At this juncture, it looks like Gardasil's benefits outweigh the risks; at least until the long term effects of the vaccine can be assessed.