Merck's [HPV] vaccine tied to 3 deaths [Company lobbied states for shots to be required]

WND ^ | 05.24.07 | Bob Unruh

[Coleus]

At least three deaths and more than 1,600 adverse reactions including spontaneous abortion and paralysis have been connected to Merck & Co.'s new vaccine for the human papilloma virus, a treatment the company has lobbied state lawmakers to make mandatory for young girls across the nation. The report comes from Judicial Watch, the Washington-based public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption.   "The FDA adverse event reports on the HPV vaccine read like a catalog of horrors," said Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch president. "Any state or local government now beset by Merck's lobbying campaigns to mandate this HPV vaccine for young girls ought to take a look at these adverse health reports. It looks as if an unproven vaccine with dangerous side effects is being pushed as a miracle drug."

One report, No. 275438-1, describes the reaction as coronary artery thrombosis, sudden cardiac death. "Given Gardasil vaccine dose #1 3/12/07. Collapsed and died on 3/26/07… Echocardiogram revealed very enlarged right ventricle, small left ventricle as well as large blood clots within both the right atrium & right ventricle." A second report  noted that the woman was vaccinated and "died of a blood clot 8 hours after getting the Gardasil vaccine."

WND earlier reported how the company's campaign to promote its $400-per person vaccine was sweeping the nation.

It was being facilitated by donations from Merck to Women in Government, whose members are women state lawmakers across the country, who in turn often were introducing legislation that would require young girls to be given the brand new vaccine in order to be enrolled in school.  Judicial Watch said documents it obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the provisions of the Freedom of Information provided information on 1,637 reports of adverse reactions.   The reports of the deaths cited myocarditis, coronary artery thrombosis and pulmonary embolism as causes for the deaths.  Besides the only hours-long lapse between vaccination and death, two other reports, on girls 12 and 19, reported deaths relating to heart problems and/or blood clotting, the Judicial Watch analysis said.

Jill Farrell, a spokeswoman with Judicial Watch, said its own tabulation uncovered 371 serious reactions among the 1,637 total reported. She said JW found more cases of serious situations than did the official government report, because of the way reactions were classified.   "Stopped breathing later revived. … 13-year-old developed pain, sought physical therapy, later could not tolerate therapy due to pain. … Hives, sent home, found unresponsive by mother, who called 911, revived at ER…" Farrell noted. "You decide. If these were your children, would you consider these non-serious?"   Of the 42 women who got the vaccine while pregnant, 18 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormities, the report said.

"Side effects published by Merck & Co. warn the public about potential pain, fever, nausea, dizziness and itching after receiving the vaccine. Indeed, 77 percent of the adverse reactions reported are typical side effects to vaccinations. But other more serious side effects reported include paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre syndrome (a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system), and seizures," Judicial Watch said.   Merck declined an opportunity to respond to WND requests for comment on the report.  WND also reported earlier a researcher who worked on a vaccine for HPV is warning it hasn't been tested on young girls, is "silly" for states to mandate, and in a worst-case scenario even could increase cervical cancer rates.  Researcher Diane M. Harper said giving such a vaccine to 11-year-olds "is a great big public health experiment."

The target of the vaccine is cervical cancer, since studies show that those who have HPV have a higher chance of later developing cervical cancer. However, opponents note that such cancers develop most often in older women, while the plan is to require girls as young as 11 or 12 years old to be inoculated. They cite the lack of evidence that the vaccine would have an impact later in life.   They also question the imposition of a vaccine against a condition that is spread only by sexual contact.   Merck's vaccine was approved last year by the Food and Drug Administration, but a doctor at the Centers for Disease Control's advisory committee on immunizations has reported that while the vaccine may be helpful, it should not be mandatory.

Merck has lobbied for its product by contributing financially to Women in Government, an organization for women state lawmakers, and at least partly because of that effort, almost three dozen state legislatures have been given proposals regarding Gardasil.    Harper noted that the vaccine is not a cancer vaccine or cure – it just is thought to prevent development of a virus that could lead to cancer.   She earlier had warned that Guillian-Barre syndrome had been reported among those who got the vaccine.   The National Conference of State Legislatures set up a special website just to track and update the various campaigns.   That site confirms that about three dozen states have had such plans introduced. But it shows slow progress in many locations.    Officials with the Abstinence Clearinghouse noted in a position paper that groups including the Texas Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine have come out publicly against mandatory vaccination.

"The reasoning of these medical associations is clear. They are not opposed to medical progress, and certainly support all efforts to combat life-threatening diseases. The problem, as these organizations see it, lies in the fact that the drug only went through three and a half years of testing, leaving the medical community somewhat in the dark as to what serious adverse effects might result in the long term," the group said.  "Along with the potential of serious adverse effects is the question of efficacy. There is evidence that after approximately four years, the vaccine's potency significantly declines. The long-term value of the vaccine has yet to be determined; if it wears off within six years, will girls and women need to repeat the battery of injections they originally received?" the organization wondered.   "It is negligent to require any person, especially a child, to receive a treatment which might in the future prove to be dangerous," the group said. "It is pertinent to note that by mandating a vaccine, the state assumes all liability. If it causes harm to patients, to whatever extent, Merck is immune to legal retribution. No state ought to be so ethically or fiscally irresponsible as to mandate this vaccine."

Leslee Unruh, chief of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, told WND her organization's research shows that such vaccines actually can increase cervical cancer rates, because women believe they are "protected" by the vaccine, and fail to follow up with their physicians for routine exams.  She also said Merck's campaign has extended far beyond state lawmakers, reaching into school districts and other organizations that are pressured to advocate for the vaccines.   "They come in and shame these poor teachers and schools into sending out letters that make it sound like the best thing since sliced bread," she said.   The NCSL said federal studies show HPV infects about 20 million people in the U.S. and 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually.   Texas Gov. Rick Perry in February issued an executive order requiring those vaccinations, but the state legislature rescinded it, citing those concerns. Perry's reaction was to describe the lawmakers' policy as "social Darwinism."

"Banning widespread access to a vaccine that can prevent cancer is short-sighted policy," he said.  Michigan was the first state to introduce a plan to require the vaccine to be given to young girls, but the proposal failed. Ohio also considered a failed plan in 2006.   Then in 2007, after Merck's aggressive lobbying campaign and contributions to WIG, lawmakers in at least 39 states and the District of Columbia worked on sponsoring such plans.   The Merck campaign's results so far include New Hampshire and South Dakota, which have announced they will provide the vaccine on a voluntary basis, and Virginia's requirement for the vaccine, although that was heavily marked up with exceptions.  

The NCSL also confirms that Colorado also set up a fund to provide the vaccine, Indiana set up a plan to require the vaccinations and New Mexico is requiring that insurance plans cover the costs. A plan there to require the inoculations was vetoed.    In Maryland a plan to require the vaccine was withdrawn, and a similar proposal was killed Mississippi. Utah has approved an awareness campaign.    In California, the requirement is being set up for girls as young as 11. Lawmakers, instead of setting the requirement in the law, decided that an administrator shall adopt federal recommendations to impose the HPV vaccine.

[Coleus]

Merck and the other companies are also in the business of creating vaccines from aborted fetuses.

ABORTED FETAL CELL LINE PRODUCTS AND ETHICAL ALTERNATIVES

Disease	Vaccine Name	Manufacturer	Cell Line (Fetal)	Ethical Version	Manufacturer	Cell Line (Non-Fetal)
Chickenpox	Varivax	Merck & Co.	WI-38, MRC-5	None	N/A	N/A
Hepatitis A	Vaqta Havrix	Merck & Co GSK	MRC-5 MRC-5	Aimmungen Not available in US	Kaketsuken (Japan & Europe)	Vero (monkey)
Hepatitis A & B	Twinrix	GSK	MRC-5	Engerix Hep-B Only Recombivax Hep-B Only	GSK Merck	Yeast Yeast
Measles, Mumps, Rubella	MMR II	Merck & Co	RA273, WI-38	None	N/A	N/A
Measles-Rubella	MR VAX	Merck & Co.	RA273, WI-38	Attenuvax – Measles	Merck	Chick embryo
Mumps-Rubella	Biavax II	Merck & Co.	RA273, WI-38	Mumpsvax – Mumps	Merck	Chick embryo
Rubella	Meruvax II	Merck & Co.	RA273, WI-38	Takahashi Not available in US	Kitasato Institute (Japan & Europe)	Rabbit
MMR + Chickenpox	ProQuad	Merck & Co.	RA273, WI-38, MRC-5	None	N/A	N/A
Polio	Poliovax	Sanofi Pasteur	MRC-5	IPOL	Sanofi Pasteur	Vero (monkey)
Rabies	Imovax	Sanofi Pasteur	MRC-5	RabAvert	Chiron	Chick embryo
Rheumatoid/OsteoArthritis	Enbrel	Immunex	WI-26 VA4	Synvisc	Genzyme Bio.	None
Sepsis	Xigris	Eli Lilly	HEK-293	Ask your doctor	N/A	N/A
Shingles	Zostavax	Merck & Co.	WI-38, MRC-5	None	N/A	N/A
Under Development Ebola	TBA	Crucell/NIH	PER C6	None	N/A	N/A
Under Development :Flu, Avian Flu	TBA	MedImmune Vaxin, Sanofi	PER C6, HEK-293	FluVirin, Flu Shield Flu Zone, Flu Blok	Chiron, Wyeth Sanofi ,Protein Sci	Chick embryo Caterpillar
New: HIV	TBA	Merck	PER C6	None	N/A	N/A
New: Smallpox	Acambis 1000	Acambis	MRC-5	ACAM2000 MVA3000	Acambis/Baxter	Vero (monkey) Chick embryo

 *TBA:  To Be Announced – Vaccine is under development; unnamed at present.   NOTE:  ALL CURRENT FLU VACCINES USE ETHICAL CELL LINES.

Physician Order Line:                                   

Merck (Measles, Mumps) 800-422-9675                       GSK: (Hepatitis-B) 866-475-8222       

Sanofi Pasteur: (Polio) 800-822-3463                             Chiron:(Rabies) 800 244-7668 (PST)                  Wyeth:  (Flu) 800 666-7248 

Note:  Immune-Globulin shots will provide temporary immunity (3-5 months) for Hepatitis-A and Rubella.  IGIM is a series of antibodies taken from donor blood designed to boost the immune system against specific diseases.  No aborted fetal cell lines are used.

 NOTE:  IF THE VACCINE YOU ARE QUESTIONING IS NOT LISTED HERE, IT DOES NOT USE ABORTED FETAL CELL LINES.

[Coleus]

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[leda]

i have said since day one, there is no way we’re touching
this vaccine with a 10 ft pole. it’s way too new still....

[Tax-chick]

I’m glad I saw this.

[Cicero]

Good grief. The Culture of Death strikes again. The feminists allied with the abortionists and the politicians.

I don’t normally trust Judicial Watch, but this report appears to be factual, with plenty of details.

[mdmathis6]

I wonder if the side effects are due to the fact that some of these girls may have been exposed to the hpv virii but had not yet developed a reaction to it. The vaccine forces the body to develop an immune response and low and behold why here is the virus already floating around in the body, thus an immune response, clots, ect!

[sinanju]

So that’s why Merck was pushing for states to make it mandatory. If the state requires the vaccine by law then the state is responsible for problems it causes, not Merck.

Verrry sneaky.

[Diogenesis]

It should be a mandatory vaccine for the Merck stockholders.

[ears_to_hear]

We know from many studies that women that have circumcised partners have a lower rate of cervical cancer, but notice no one is suggesting that we force all males no matter the age to be circumcised .

This was fine because the women bear the risk and the potential complications and pain.

[Gerish]

Very interesting read - thanks for posting.

[John Will]

Thread hijacking in process.

[all the best]

This is a promiscuity vaccine. If a young woman is not skanking around then she doesn’t need it. It is an outrage that any state would mandate this vaccine for any girl. Keep the stuff for whores.

[all the best]

This is a promiscuity vaccine. If a young woman is not skanking around then she doesn’t need it. It is an outrage that any state would mandate this vaccine for any girl. Keep the stuff for whores.

[Mrs.Z]

“It should be a mandatory vaccine for the Merck stockholders.”

Absolutely. Their kids first.

[Graymatter]

Thread hijacking in process.

Sporting of you to admit it!

[Graymatter]

Merck and the other companies are also in the business of creating vaccines from aborted fetuses.

I know a very devout Catholic who works for Merck. Militantly pro-life, a true activist.

I guess my next encounter with that person is going to be very different from all the preceding ones. :(

[ICE-FLYER]

One has to wonder how it will be handled. Anthrax vaccine has SIX deaths attributed on its package insert...it was NEVER tested for what Clinton forced the military to take it for and we still have to deal with it.

Some agencies never learn and some people dont give a dang.

[Tax-chick]

This was fine because the women bear the risk and the potential complications and pain.

Yup.

[mombyprofession]

Absolutely. Our daughter is almost 7, so she might have been affected in the near future by this “immunization”, but there’s no way in heck that I’d have allowed them to give it to her.

[Diogenesis]

There is a lot of pain from
cervical cancer if untreated (it is highly curable)
and from strokes,infertility,etc from the vaccine.
These risks of the vaccine and the disease it
is meant to prevent are also shared by the families
of these women. With the vaccine that might involve
large fractions of the population.