Posted on 09/13/2009 7:14:31 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
Gabrielle "Gabi" Swank dreamed of traveling to Africa as a Christian missionary.
Now the 16-year-old Wichitan rarely leaves her house, but she's on a mission — warning girls, parents and doctors against Gardasil.
Gabi's doctor and family think the cervical cancer vaccine caused a life-threatening condition that is affecting her immune and nervous systems.
Other experts say there's no link: The vaccine is safe — and a better option than risking cervical cancer.
Whatever the case, Gabi spends her days fighting her disease and urging others to fight Gardasil.
"Preventing cervical cancer is a great idea. This vaccine could be a wonderful thing," Gabi said. "But they need to investigate it more, and they need to fix it.
"I don't want anyone else to have to go through what I'm going through."
Safety, risk report
Gardasil was designed to protect against four strains of the human papilloma virus, which account for about 70 percent of cervical cancers.
The vaccine, approved in 2006, is recommended for girls ages 9 to 26 and is administered in three shots over six months.
A report issued last month raised new questions about Gardasil's safety. The report by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the vaccine had been linked to 32 deaths and more than 700 serious or life-threatening complications, including fainting and blood clots.
At the same time, an analysis by the National Vaccine Information Center, a private vaccine safety group, found that women injected with Gardasil had triple the number of emergency room visits and up to 30 times the number of reported side effects as those given a meningitis vaccine.
"Now we know ... there are more reactions and deaths associated with Gardasil than with another vaccine given in the same age group," said Barbara Fisher, president of the nonprofit group. "It's irresponsible not to take action."
Officials with Merck, which manufactures Gardasil, say the vaccine's benefits continue to outweigh its risks, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reiterated its position that "Gardasil is a safe and effective vaccine." On Wednesday, an FDA committee recommended that the vaccine be made available to boys and men.
"We vaccinate ourselves, our children and our parents with the same vaccines that we send out to the public every day," said Jennifer Allen, a spokeswoman for Merck.
"We have reviewed all the safety information... and we remain confident in the safety profile of Gardasil."
Since its launch, more than 50 million doses of Gardasil have been distributed around the world, Allen said, with more than 26 million in the U.S.
Post-vaccine changes
Gabi, a junior at Wichita South High School, got her first Gardasil shot in November 2007. She lobbied her mother to get the vaccine, spurred in part by Merck's television campaign.
"Everyone at school was like, 'Have you gotten the shot yet? You have to get it,' " Gabi said. "It was like the anti-cancer shot, so we all thought it was a great thing."
Shortly after her first injection, Gabi developed conditions that seemed unexplainable: excessive fatigue, headaches, muscle pain and numbness in her hands and feet.
Her condition worsened after subsequent shots, said Shannon Shrag, Gabi's mother. Gabi's face, hands and feet swelled. She began losing hair. Her body ached most of the time. No one connected her symptoms with the vaccine.
About three months after her final Gardasil shot, Gabi collapsed from severe chest pains and shortness of breath. Several exams and trips to the emergency room left doctors perplexed. Gabi, a varsity cheerleader, gymnast and honor roll student, assumed she had overworked herself.
"That was the beginning of a horrific battle," Schrag said. "Trying to get answers to what was happening to my daughter, trying to find someone who was willing to help her and not tell her she was crazy."
Eventually, Gabi was diagnosed with lupus and cerebral vasculitis, potentially fatal autoimmune and nervous system diseases that have "totally changed my life," she said.
Gabi is too weak to attend school most days. She has seizures that paralyze parts of her body. She takes more than 30 pills a day and recently began lengthy intravenous treatments.
Gabi's neurologist, Dwight Lindholm, blames the Gardasil vaccine for her condition.
"She was perfectly healthy before she started the vaccine. The symptoms began immediately after her first shot and grew progressively worse," Lindholm said.
"I'd say that's good evidence that it's related to the vaccine."
Tragic coincidence
Others say it's likely a tragic coincidence.
Tom Moore, an infectious disease physician and clinical professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, said anecdotal cases like Gabi's are powerful but unscientific.
"Unfortunately, people get lupus all the time. They develop autoimmune conditions. And the disease is often diagnosed in girls in that age group," Moore said.
"To say on the basis of a single case that this was definitely related to the vaccine and, 'By the way, no one should get the vaccine' — that message is irresponsible, and it's at odds with the information that is available."
No vaccine is without risk or side effects, Moore said.
"But in general, these vaccines are as safe as they can possibly be ... and much safer than the risk of getting cervical cancer."
Allen, the Merck spokeswoman, added: "We do not believe that reported autoimmune diseases have been caused by Gardasil.... What we have seen so far does not show any causal relationship."
Support for Gabi
Gabi's isn't the only family that thinks their daughter was harmed by Gardasil. Reports in the Dallas Morning News, U.S. News & World Report, CBS News and other outlets have pointed to several deaths unofficially linked to the vaccine.
More than 100 Facebook pages and petitions urge doctors to stop administering Gardasil, including one titled "Pray for Gabi Swank — Gardasil Victim," which has almost 4,500 members.
An Australian film crew has been chronicling Gabi's life over the past several months, including her appearance in the South High homecoming court last winter that was cut short by a violent seizure and trip to the emergency room.
"I had this awesome dress, and my hair and makeup looked great. And I was just vomiting all over the hospital parking lot," Gabi said. "The camera was right there catching everything. It was like Lindsay Lohan or something."
Friends and classmates have organized fundraisers to offset the family's medical costs. They're selling T-shirts with the phrase, "I don't want to be one less" — a nod to the Gardasil catchphrase, "Be one less," which refers to one less case of cervical cancer.
Gabi's prescriptions cost almost $2,000 a month. Schrag was laid off from her job in pharmaceutical sales last year and has stayed home to care for Gabi. Her husband, Derek, works for Chance Industries. In January, the family lost their south Wichita house to foreclosure and moved to a small duplex.
"Our priority right now is Gabi's health, getting her better," Schrag said.
She struggles with guilt over Gabi's condition, saying she never considered that the vaccine her daughter begged for could have serious side effects.
Because cervical cancer runs in her family, "We thought what we were doing was protecting Gabi," Schrag said. "We didn't want to give cancer the opportunity to invade her body in any way."
Gabi says she "cried all the time" when she first learned the severity of her condition. Her mother and doctors say she may not survive.
But now, "I've accepted it. This has happened to me," she said. "I don't want it to keep happening to other girls."
Honestly, that’s how the Christian Homeschoolers I know are looking at it.
The girls now know that sex with multiple partners can lead to cervical cancer by those commercials.
Nuff said.
print this article out and have ready in a folder to hand to anyone who suggests you get this done to your daughter = and NOW they want to give it to boys????
The insidiousness of pushing this at schools - and having these young people, who haven't the experience to be wary - and who don't want to be the only one that doesn't go with the crowd - is criminal.
At the most, a notice should be sent to the parents - NOTHING should be said to the school kids - and then only the kids whose parents want to risk it should be given these shots.
The gov’t (FDA - and DC politicians who invest in stock of these vaccines) is hooked up with the pharmaceutical co., to make money - and convincing everyone to take shots - more and more and more of them - is becoming an epidemic in itself, with us as guinea pigs. these vaccines are like Russian Roulette.
EXCEPRT: ..The CDC: “”A report issued last month raised new questions about Gardasil’s safety. The report by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control - CDC - and Prevention said the vaccine had been linked to 32 deaths and more than 700 serious or life-threatening complications, including fainting and blood clots.
At the same time, an analysis by the National Vaccine Information Center, a private vaccine safety group, found that women injected with Gardasil had triple the number of emergency room visits and up to 30 times the number of reported side effects as those given a meningitis vaccine.
“Now we know ... there are more reactions and deaths associated with Gardasil than with another vaccine given in the same age group,” said Barbara Fisher, president of the nonprofit group. “It's irresponsible not to take action.”
****************
We - and our children - are expendable. And you can bet that if obamacare gets through - you will have no choice...or your kids will be taken from you as bad parents - and given the shots anyway.
It seems that the politicians don't yet control the CDC - they are warning against this - and they are they are ones that say that the Swine flu is about as ‘bad’ as a cold or regular flu and that the possible side effects of the flu vaccine may not be worth taking it - and the gov’t wants people to take THREE shots this time. (Obama, when confronted with the question of why he had $50,000 invested in the company making the vaccine, he did not deny it - just said he ‘wasn't aware just when it was invested.)
The evil afoot in the country is frightening.
Was it the vaccine itself that caused the Lupus, or did she have a predisposition to Lupus that was set off by her immune system from getting a vaccine?
Also, the article makes it sound as if Lupus and cerebral vasculitis are 2 separate entities. Her vasculitis is probably directly related to the Lupus process.
neither do I. Papilloma virus is spread by contact. An infection clears up on it's own, unless they are reinfected before it does. Anyone coming into contact with this can easily spread it regardless if they were immune to the subsequent infection. And considering how sex is being promoted as an after school contact sport these days, vaccination or not, guys and girls can still spread it around, where the non-vaccinated will still develop the infection.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/19/cbsnews_investigates/main5253431.shtml
Gardasil Researcher Speaks Out
“Public Should Receive More Complete Warnings”
Genital warts are more likely now than cervical cancer. So they try to scare people into getting this by using the cancer angle.
http://www.judicialwatch.org/story/2008/may/judicial-watch-investigates-side-effects-hpv-vaccine
I’m not going to inject anything into my daughter with the budding reproductive system, thanks.
You’re more than welcome to take the risk with your daughter.
You may want to reread my posts.
An unbelievable tragedy based on the idea of preventing one. The fact that they had to fight and fight to find a doctor who would not blame it on stress, or worse making the victims feel crazy and not understood... I’m praying for healing and relief. So very sad. :-(
I went through much the same as this girl did, although my “Lupus” turned out to be an overlap with systemic sclerosis (internal scleroderma)
These auto imune diseases are extremely hard to diagnose because the symtoms vary so widely and mimic other disease symptoms.
But, it’s becoming more and more evident that developing these kind of auto immune diseases is preceded by some kind of trauma, in my case it was surgery on my leg, but it could easily be anything that causes stress to the imune system.
You said this
>>HPV is a virus, not and STD. One type of the virus can cause genital warts. HPV can also go away on it’s own.<<
Are you saying that this is not sexually transmitted?
Because if you are, the research is against you.
Apparently, the CDC disagrees with you. But maybe you have more training?
Excerpt:
"A report issued last month raised new questions about Gardasil's safety. The report by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control - CDC - and Prevention said the vaccine had been linked to 32 deaths and more than 700 serious or life-threatening complications, including fainting and blood clots.
At the same time, an analysis by the National Vaccine Information Center, a private vaccine safety group, found that women injected with Gardasil had triple the number of emergency room visits and up to 30 times the number of reported side effects as those given a meningitis vaccine. "
Now we know ... there are more reactions and deaths associated with Gardasil than with another vaccine given in the same age group," said Barbara Fisher, president of the nonprofit group. "It's irresponsible not to take action."
What I said was true. Read the post that I was responding to. I was correcting a poster. Again, HPV is a sexually transmitted VIRUS. It often goes away on it’s own as per the CDC.
again, no direct link. Does the report actually show an actual link or is it just coincidental? Have you ever researched or done controlled studies before? Have you any science training or background? If so, you’d know that this is bull crap because if there was a direct causation, the vaccine would be pulled ASAP. I take it you don’t otherwise you’d know what I know.
Sorry to hear about your Scleroderma.
I’m very familiar with autoimmune diseases, as I work in a clinic that once had a Pediatric Rheumatologist. He had a handful of scleroderma patients, one of whom had Pansclerotic Morphea (a local scleroderma that affects the skin; there are only 30 some cases in the entire medical literature; extremely rare).
I’m not gung ho either way on this vaccine. Like any foreign substance we put in our body, there is a potential for adverse reaction, whether it be something as simple as eating peanuts and going into an anaphylactic reaction, taking an antibiotic and developing Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, or getting a vaccine and having a major adverse reaction. Many people believe that if the FDA clears something, that it is without risk. NOTHING is without risk. It’s all risk vs. benefit.
Given that there are SO many variables here, there may be something occurring from the vaccine that wasn’t picked up in the clinical trials.
Still an STD, as most are viruses anyways. And yes, HPV does clear up on it's own. But repeated exposures causes changes to the cell structures of the cervix tissue, which can turn cancerous if not treated.
Money, pure and simple
It appears that many have a heads up about a new vaccine before it hits the market - and invest heavily while stock is new - and reap the benefits. They have a vested interest in pushing the vaccines - making more and more of them mandatory - kids now get a veritable soup of vaccines.
I appears the CDC is not yet corrupted - they warn against this and are ‘leery’ of the swine flu vaccine
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090826/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu
and the people who MAKE the vaccine aren't going to take it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4SmFxyust0
Follow the money
STD’s are usually viewed as a disease that needs medical treatment. Since HPV is more like a common cold, I don’t believe that it’s viewed the same as “the french disease” or the “clap”. I think only genital warts that are caused by a strain of HPV is the same. I don’t see the virus as being a disease itself but that it may cause one. I understand if others view it differently.
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