Posted on 09/20/2007 4:02:03 PM PDT by wagglebee
TORONTO, September 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - As Canada, in large part due to aggressive behind the scenes lobbying, rolls out the not-comprehensively-tested Merck HPV vaccine for girls as young as nine, a look at developments on the vaccine south of the border should cause Canadians serious concern. In the United States a similar lobby campaign by the same company launched the mass HPV vaccination of girls beginning in June last year.
In just little over a year, the HPV vaccine have been associated with at least five deaths, not to mention thousands of reports of adverse effects, hundreds deemed serious, and many that required hospitalization.
Judicial Watch, a US government watchdog, became concerned while noting large donations to key politicians originating from Merck. A freedom of information request from the group in May of this year discovered that during the period from June 8, 2006 - when the vaccines received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - to May 2007 there were 1,637 reports of adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine reported to the FDA.
Three deaths were related to the vaccine, including one of a 12-year-old. One physician's assistant reported that a female patient "died of a blood clot three hours after getting the Gardasil vaccine." Two other reports, on girls 12 and 19, reported deaths relating to heart problems and/or blood clotting.
As of May 11, 2007, the 1,637 adverse vaccination reactions reported to the FDA via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) included 371 serious reactions. Of the 42 women who received the vaccine while pregnant, 18 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormities.
Side effects published by Merck & Co. warn the public about potential pain, fever, nausea, dizziness and itching after receiving the vaccine. Indeed, 77% 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, and seizures.
Judicial Watch informed LifeSiteNews.com that a subsequent request for information on adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine, covering the period from May 2007 to September 2007, found that an additional 1800 adverse reactions have been reported, including more deaths. exactly how many more deaths will be released in the coming days, Judicial Watch's Dee Grothe informed LifeSiteNews.com.
The LifeSiteNews.com report on the moneyed lobbying efforts of Merck in the US was reported in February. (see http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/feb/07020204.html )
However the Canadian lobby effort by Merck's Canadian affiliate Merck Frosst Canada has been underway using powerful lobbyists with close connections to the politicians who have signed off on massive government funded vaccination programs.
The Toronto Star recently reported that Merck Frosst Canada Ltd hired public relations giant Hill & Knowlton to push the immunization strategies using some well-connected lobbyists: Ken Boessenkool, a former senior policy adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper; Bob Lopinski, formerly with Premier Dalton McGuinty's office; and Jason Grier, former chief of staff to Health Minister George Smitherman.
Harper's Conservative Government approved Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil in July and later announced a $300 million program to give the vaccine to girls from ages 9-13. That of course is only the beginning of what Merck likely hopes will be a much larger vaccination of all potentially sexually active women in Canada. In August, McGuinty's Ontario Liberals, on the advice of his Health Minister George Smitherman, announced that all Grade 8 girls will have free access to Gardasil.
One of the major complaints by physicians is that the HPV vaccination program has been implemented before adequate testing has been completed. Long-term effects of the vaccine remain unknown. Many are asking why the huge, seemingly reckless rush?
At least one answer to that question comes from the fact that Merck currently is the sole provider of an HPV vaccine with its Gardasil product. A competing HPV vaccine, Glaxo Smith Kline's Cervarix, is set to hit the market in January 2008. As more children are vaccinated with Gardasil, fewer will be able to later receive the necessary repeat boosters of a competing, incompatible vaccine. Merck is in a race to capture as much of the market as it can, consuming many millions of government tax dollars.
US sales of Gardasil are expected to reach $1 billion in the first year of its availability.
The reports from the FDA Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System detailing the three previous deaths are available here:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007_docs/GardasilVAERSDeath...
The reports detailing all 1637 adverse effects are here:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007_docs/GardasilVAERSRepor...
No, it can’t be. This is the perfect leftist innoculation.
I homeschool, and the Dr did try to PUSH it on my 12 yo. We have a new doctor now. What a blessing that change has been. This one is extremely Pro-Life,believes and lives the Family Planning Method!
Thanks for posting the article. The side effects, the lack of study group using the target age, etc were reasons we were pressing state legislators and the governor last session to NOT put this into effect. They chose to err on the side of “health proponents” (touch of sarcasm).
Gardasil is a reason to homeschool?
Adjust your tinfoil. The shiny side goes out.
There is no incentive for the average doctor to "push the latest thing." Any "discounts" or other perks received by a doctor from a "rep" would be a violation of policy for all large pharma companies and could be the subject of an investigation by the OIG and resultant millions in fines. I know it's hard to believe, but the "latest thing" is not all that appealing to docs unless they really believe in the clinical value of the drug.
I always hesitate to say much regarding these drugs. I’m in that profession and know for a fact what’s been happening with these drugs. Hey, some folks do ok on them...but when they don’t it can be really bad. Hey, go get a RX or put your kid on them and hope and pray you or your child doesn’t have the type of reaction that’s taken place with the awful drugs. Ask the pharmacist to give you the disclosure sheets that comes with these drugs...and read those warnings thoroughly.
Requiring the HPV vaccine be forced on public school students is wrong on so many levels. Even without the horrendous side affects forcing this vaccine on little girls is clearly abuse of power. I can’t believe we now have people in leadership positions who are so morally stunted.
What profession would that be? I doubt you have any secret information which is not available to the public. Otherwise, you could pocket a good $30 to $40 million if you blow the whistle on the racket.
Is the number of people who do "really bad" on the meds larger as a percentage of the people taking them than the number of people who do "really bad" on no medicine?
While I too have a problem with requiring the vaccine, I think here in the states the parent can simply opt out by saying "our girl doesn't get it." Check the box, sign the line, walk away. If I'm wrong, I'd be more than happy to see contrary information.
I shouldn’t have to “opt out” of something. It should be “opt-in”. They only do that because they can get more ignorant parents to do the vaccination if they say it’s “required”.
I haven't been back in almost three years (I'm annoyingly healthy) but I figure I'm due for at least a check up some time next year. I hope we don't have a repeat. I don't like taking any kind of medication that is not needed. I believe we as a society are way over medicated as it is.
Um...which is what I said (in not as many words as you). And ignorant parents will be ignorant parents, with or without Gardasil vaccines.
In a perfect world the opt out clause would always be respected. In a perfect world no drug or vaccine would ever have adverse side effects. You may live in Utopia ,but I do not.
Merck could get richer quicker with anti obesity drugs.
Completely 100% agree.
And your doctor would benefit in absolutely no way from dispensing samples of a medicine. He could toss them in the trash and receive the same end result for himself.
I believe they have one in their pipeline. A cannabinoid inhibitor, perhaps. But they're trickier to get approved by the FDA as a lot of standard therapies probably wouldn't be approved today.
Merck has done an amazing job promoting this vaccine. Most vaccines are not real money makers (at least not to pharma companies' perspective). This one as a blockbuster in its first year is mind-boggling. The hype alone is a bit worrisome to me.
Thank you for *defending* . . . erm. . .showing the other side.
Prozac literally brought me back from the depths of my own personal hell. I understand that some people have adverse reactions, but there are a lot of people out there who don’t - and who are healthy today because because of the existence of SSRIs.
:)
If someone has an out of control child that is having sex at 12, then there are more problems there than a vaccine can address.
Did you notice the reference to the studies at the link ?
Those weren’t by lawyers, and they were peer-reviewed.
Way too many people don’t read; they look at superficial things and make a judgment without reading the text.
Somehow a government advocating a medical prevention treatment (without choice by those involved) gives rise to the question:
Who will benefit by this rush to decision?
I guess ‘no’ is too difficult these days? Have the girls lost their tongues and minds too?
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