The news keeps reporting on the HPV vaccine debate, with some channels actually showing opinions from both sides of the debate. The question is, should boys be given the vaccine to prevent certain cancers as well as girls?
It is known that certain individuals have adverse reactions, and that, as stated by the reporter, "of the 35 million doses distributed in the US, some 18, 727 adverse events were reported and only 8% of those were considered serious." Darren Brown, MD, IU Professor of Medicine and vaccine developer who helped create the HPV vaccine, added: "None of which the CDC investigators have felt have been attributable to the vaccine (sic)." (source: 24 Hour News 8 wishtv.com via Mercola.com).
It is interesting that the affected group of girls in the news report all spoke freely to the reporter, but when the reporter wanted their doctor's point of view, she stated: "...not one would talk to me."
Forget the news! In this case, it opens up questions from the public, but having a vaccine-developer MD and Professor of Medicine say what he said, we are left with more questions that answers!
Does the vaccine have a risk of cancer? Read below.
Does the vaccine work in everybody? Read below.
Does the 'prevalence of HPV infection' affect a blood test for it? Read below.
Does this vaccine protect against all types of HPV? Read below.
Can this vaccine kill you? Read below.
Why not go straight to the sources? Firstly, the blood test for HPV, according to the package insert:
"C. Prevalence of HPV infection in a population may affect performance. Positive predictive values decrease when testing populations with low prevalence or individuals with no risk of infection
Note: Results of this test should only be interpreted in conjunction with information available from clinical evaluation of the patient and patient history."
http://www.gen-probe.com/pdfs/pi/502170-EN-RevA.pdf
Now, let's look at the package insert for the HPV vaccine itself:
"GARDASIL has not been demonstrated to protect against
diseases due to HPV types not contained in the vaccine. (1.3)
(14.4) (14.5)
Not all vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers are caused by HPV, and
GARDASIL protects only against those vulvar, vaginal, and anal
cancers caused by HPV 16 and 18. (1.3)
Vaccination with GARDASIL may not result in protection in all
vaccine recipients. (1.3)
GARDASIL has not been evaluated for the potential to cause carcinogenicity or genotoxicity."
6.2 Postmarketing Experience
The following adverse events have been spontaneously reported during post-approval use of GARDASIL. Because these events were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not possible to reliably estimate their frequency or to establish a causal relationship to vaccine exposure.
Blood and lymphatic system disorders: Autoimmune hemolytic anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, lymphadenopathy.
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: Pulmonary embolus.
Gastrointestinal disorders: Nausea, pancreatitis, vomiting.
General disorders and administration site conditions: Asthenia, chills, death, fatigue, malaise.
Immune system disorders: Autoimmune diseases, hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions, bronchospasm, and urticaria.
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: Arthralgia, myalgia.
Nervous system disorders: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, dizziness, Guillain-Barré syndrome,
headache, motor neuron disease, paralysis, seizures, syncope (including syncope associated with tonicclonic movements and other seizure-like activity) sometimes resulting in falling with injury, transverse myelitis.
Infections and infestations: cellulitis.
Vascular disorders: Deep venous thrombosis.
http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/g/gardasil/gardasil_pi.pdf
