side effects | Extreme Mom

How safe is the Gardasil vaccine?

*Gardasil is a relatively new vaccine that was approved by the FDA in 2006 for use in the US as a preventative against the HPV virus which can sometimes lead to cervical cancer.

To date, 57 million doses have been distributed. There have been 139 deaths and somewhere in the ballpark of 22,000 adverse reactions reported.

The question is- how essential is this vaccine and more importantly, do the risks outweigh the benefits?

The answer is unclear and unfortunately, it’s become even more muddied by predictably irresponsible media coverage.

Sadly, we’ve come to expect a certain degree of biased media interference in almost all facets of our lives, due to the saturation of self serving special interest groups in this country.

The result of this never ending flow of biased opinions is that eventually it becomes background noise.

We start to ignore it.

Thank you, over-the-top whack jobs who dispute anything and everything.

I’ve long concluded that most news is nothing more than a smoking train wreck of opinions.

It’s difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. Which is precisely why I feel compelled to research and validate almost everything I read.

It’s exhausting.

“Ain’t nobody got time for… ”

Never mind.

That said- anyone who forms an opinion after reading ONE article or story is a complete moron and liability to society.

I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

So wake up if that describes you. The world is full of self serving liars.

It seems as if almost everything has an underlying agenda these days, which may not necessarily be in the consumers best interests.

As a result, I honestly hadn’t paid too much attention to the hoopla regarding the Gardasil vaccine.

Until recently that is, when I stumbled upon a link on Facebook that lead me to do further research.

What commanded my undivided attention on this particular topic were reports of Dr. Diane Harper- leading international developer of HPV vaccines and former Merck scientist’s very unexpected public address where she voiced concerns regarding the vaccines safety, during what was supposed to be a promotional conference.

It motivated me to dig around.

The evidence left me in a state of hopeless disbelief and validated something I kind of already suspected.

Pharmaceutical companies do in fact RULE the WORLD.

More specifically, money rules the world.

You knew that.

We both did.

The story goes something like this.

The Gardasil vaccine manufactured by Merck Pharmaceuticals is being strongly recommended (pushed) by health care practitioners as a seemingly pseudo insurance policy against cervical cancer for the 9-26 year old demographic.

*Note- It’s also starting to be recommended for boys as a preventative against penile warts and throat cancer.

The “Be One Less” campaign launched by Merck attempts to frighten or guilt young girls and their consenting parents into receiving the vaccine, so that they will subsequently be ONE LESS victim of cervical cancer.

It’s being pushed by your trusted pediatrician without question.

Cancer is bad… get the vaccine and live happily ever after. Right?

Not so fast.

Sure, it lowers your risk of cervical cancer, but first let’s explore a few things.

*How EFFECTIVE is this vaccine against cervical cancer?

*What are your ODDS of actually being diagnosed with cervical cancer in the first place? Essentially, how many HPV infections actually turn into cervical cancer?

*And most notably, what is the MORTALITY rate for cervical cancer?

A Few Fast Facts.

FACTS on Incidence- 14 million HPV infections are diagnosed in the US each year.

The Gardasil vaccine only protects against four out of over a dozen viral strains thought to cause cervical cancer.

More Perspective- There are over 100 types of HPV viruses out of which 40 are sexually transmitted and only a dozen are thought to cause cancer.

Also, scientific evidence has shown that 90% of all HPV infections clear up within two years all by themselves WITHOUT treatment.

Just WOW.

“Cervical cancer is the easiest cancer to prevent with regular screening tests and follow-up.” *Excerpt from the CDC’s web page on Gynecological Cancers- http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/basic_info/screening.htm

In other words, regular PAP screening is more than sufficient in preventing this disease. All by itself.

FACTS on Mortality- 3.5 out of 100,000 women will DIE from cervical cancer in the US annually. (12 out of 100,000 women will be diagnosed)
*2013 statistics – American Cancer Society

Pay attention here- That’s LESS than a 1% chance that a woman will actually contract cervical cancer in her lifetime and LESS than one quarter of 1% that it will lead to death.

To put that into perspective, out of every 100,000 women, 11 will die in a car accident. Therefore, you’re twice as likely to be killed in an automobile accident.

People don’t generally lose sleep worrying about losing their life in a motor vehicle accident.

Reputable professional organizations endorsing the Gardasil vaccine include; American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Cancer Society.

I mention this to clarify that YOUR physician is most likely promoting this vaccine.

The question is… WHY?

This vaccine seems far from NECESSARY.

Sure, it’s obvious that nobody wants cancer or sexually transmitted warts, but if the likelihood of this is already relatively low, why get injected with something that’s currently under scrutiny for causing serious ill effects and possibly death?

The Adverse Effects can be deadly. The Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System (V.A.E.R.S) reports there are currently139 known deaths associated with HPV vaccinations.

There have also been at least 22,000 reports of adverse reactions, which may be quite fluid as many reactions are never reported.

Serious reactions reported include-

Seizures
Convulsions
Coma
Hemorhages
Guillane Barré Syndrome and Paralysis
Pancreatitis
Blindness
Cerebral Vasculitis (swelling of the brain)
Lupus-like immune disorders
Blood clots
ALS-like schlerosis
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)

Take another look at the reactions. They are NOT your run-of-the-mill generic side effects like- nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, upset stomach, constipation or diarrhea. These effects are quite serious and potentially life threatening.

The victims stories are horrifying. I’m attaching links to several victim web sites for you to review and form your own conclusions.

The intention of this writing is not to persuade you one way or another, but to merely to encourage you to question your choices.

Ethical Concerns-

One might ask WHY there’s an URGENT push to vaccinate?

Why all the media hype, the boisterous campaign- Be One Less… ?

Also, why was this vaccine fast tracked for approval by Merck after only being tested on 1,200 girls under the age of 16?

Most likely it’s the almighty dollar.

MONEY MONEY MONEY… MONNNEEEEEY.

The vaccine is expected to reach one billion dollars in sales next year. Wall Street analysts predict that sales could reach four billion dollars over the next five years.

Is Merck using young girls as guinea pigs for profit? It’s very possible. The bottom line always seems to lead to the inner lining of the corporate world’s pockets.

Cervical cancer is not an imminent threat if you diligently have PAP screenings. This is NOT something that sneaks up on you and suddenly takes your life.

“The rate at which invasive cancer develops from dysplagia (atypical cells) is usually slow, measured in years and perhaps decades. (1)

1. Holowaty P, miller AB, Rohan T, et al: Natural history of dysplasia of the uterine cervix. J Natl Cancer Inst 91 (3) 252-8, 1999

The choice here seems obvious.

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Please do not lose sight that throughout history, certain vaccines have been integral in eradicating deadly mass epidemics such as small pox, diptheria, measles, rubella, tetanus, polio and whooping cough.

These advances in medicine have absolutely changed the world and saved millions of lives.

This is not about THAT.

This is about creating a questionable nonessential vaccine with a sketchy safety margin that’s seemingly being marketed purely for profit.

Parents –

Question it.

Do your own research.

Stay informed.

Make your own decision.

Do not be bullied by your practitioner.

Higher education was the precursor to their fancy degree.

Common sense and conscience were not necessarily a factor.

PASS IT ON- Even though this vaccine has been on the market and in the media since 2006, does not mean the majority has been properly informed. Every day thousands of new young people become age eligible for this vaccine.

Please spread this important information.