Gardasil

Gardasil is used to treat side effects that arise from the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV can cause cervical/vaginal/anal cancers along with genital warts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that the vaccination be used as early as 11-12 years old. In 2006, Gardasil became the only approved vaccine manufactured to prevent the side effects of HPV. It is manufactured by Merck & Co., and the drug was predicted to net $1.4 billion in its first year on the market. Merck & Co. has stated that 26 million vaccines have been administered worldwide.

The CDC recommended that all girls between 11-12 years old should be vaccinated with Gardasil, and 20 different states pushed for a federal mandate to make it mandatory for 6th grade girls. The company boasted that Gardasil was virtually side-effect free except for some initial pain at the injection site.

In some trials of Gardasil, the drug was seen to be 90-100 percent effective in preventing the transmission of HPV.

Since its approval in 2006, Gardasil has been linked to serious side effects. The drug has been thought to cause blood clots, paralysis, miscarriages, death and more.

According to the “Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System,” there were 3,461 complaints filed in reference to the Gardasil vaccine. Paralysis, Bell’s Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome and seizures were all linked to the vaccine. In one case, a girl developed a degenerative muscle disease, while two other patients were paralyzed soon after receiving Gardasil.

The vaccine was also linked to miscarriages in women who received Gardasil. There were 28 reported cases of miscarriages—one woman miscarried after receiving the vaccine 30 days before becoming pregnant, while another occurred when the patient did not know she was pregnant when she received the vaccine.

Lastly, Gardasil has been linked to instances of death. As of 2010, there had been reports of 49 deaths that were linked to the use of the vaccine.

Serious side effects may include:

• Severe stomach pain
• Swollen glands
• Easy bruising or bleeding, confusion, unusual weakness
• Fever, chills, body aches, general ill feeling
• Chest pain
• Feeling short of breath

Less serious Gardasil side effects may include:

• Pain, swelling, redness, bruising, or itching where the shot was given
• Mild fever, headache, dizziness, tired feeling
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Sleep problems (insomnia)
• Runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough
• Tooth pain, joint or muscle pain