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...
Gee, I wonder what our IDIOT Gov. Goodhair of Texas thinks now?
You are right to be skeptical of the hysterical quality of the article. Five deaths out of probably millions of doses is not a significant risk. Nevertheless, the professed "need" for this vaccine assumes promiscuity--with appropriate behavior, the spread of HPV and lots of other ugly bugs would be stopped in their tracks. Furthermore, if you are really in the business, you know that there are many strains of HPV which are essentially harmless and only a select few which advance the risk factor for cervical CA.
IOW the jury is still out on this vaccine.
We can prevent that by keeping a certain person out of office.
Cervical cancer causes about 3,500 deaths a year and the cervix is not a major site of probable fatal cancers. Additionally,timely pap smears could prevent almost all of the deaths that do occur. Furthermore,pap smears will still be necessary.
The vaccine has not been tested long enough to have the foggiest notion of the long term effects it may have on the girls receiving it or any children they may have.
The misinformation and disinformation on this vaccine is very disturbing and should make the public very suspicious of Merck as well as the vaccine.
And before you comment again,you need to read up!!
I know! Uh oh! Oh well, I guess I will wear it with pride!
“The vaccine has not been tested long enough to have the foggiest notion of the long term effects it may have on the girls receiving it or any children they may have.”
Merck: “That’s why you need to hurry up and get you daughters in line so we can test it on them.”
Merck: “...And don’t forget to enroll your sons in your local school’s Promiscuity 101. It won’t be much of a test if they don’t play doctor.”
I had a classmate whose mother took Thalidomide. His upper left arm was short. His lower left arm was essentially missing. He had a tiny hand dangling at the end of his left elbow. His right arm was completely unaffected.
My mom was likewise offered Thalidomide. I think she turned it down. I arrived with what was termed a "severe tibial torsion". Both feet were turned inward. An orthopedic surgeon "fixed" the problem by breaking both of my legs and putting me in some odd contraption that held my feet and legs in a "normal" position until the breaks healed. Had that not been done, I would not be able to walk today. I'm flat footed, but I can walk and run to some degree. Inline speedskating isn't problem...except for a pair of lungs damaged by pneumonia and Valley Fever.
My family doc (the one my girls see) is not for it at all - especially for girls entering puberty. In her opinion, the research relied too much on subjects passed puberty. She says my 2 (17 and 20) are old enough, but she would prefer both of them wait until they are 21. That also assumes that they both restrain from sex until that time. Someone sexually active doesn't benefit from this in the least. Both my girls have promised me they are not and have not been active and I believe them.
So I'm thinking this summer for the older and a long, serious talk with the younger. This strikes me as more reasonable than giving this to a 9-12 year old.
Well, apparently if you use the wrong html commands, half your post can go away. Live and learn huh?
At least your girls are old enough to make a decision on their own.
At 10, I really can’t have a discussion with my girls about the risks vs benefits of the vaccine. At 14, maybe. 16 gets a little better. 18, they better be ready to make important decisions about their own life.
I also figure it depends on the kid. I know my 13 year old is not having sex. He is too shy in front of girls, plus he doesn’t have the opportunity (unless it is at school).
At 16 when kids can drive and be on their own, that’s when I’ll be concerned about them having sex.
How can this be? It was just reported that the vaccine is doing BETTER than expected!!!
How does this number of adverse reactions compare to other drugs? It seems like the baseline number of adverse reactions for vaccines should be included in the article.
That was just CYA from Merck.
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