HPV vaccination for cervical cancer (Part Two of Two)

There is some controversy regarding the HPV vaccination primarily because of its side effects. Minor side effects are pain, swelling, itching, bruising, and redness at the injection site, headache, fever, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and fainting. However, there have been reported cases of vaccination deaths, serious side effects such as neurological reactions, paralysis, speech problems and blindness.

"Reports from Judicial Watch of USA stated that between May 2009 and September 2010, 16 deaths after Gardasil vaccination were reported. For that timeframe, there were also 789 reports of "serious" Gardasil adverse reactions, including 213 cases of permanent disability and 25 diagnosed cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome. While it is not clear exactly what is causing so many adverse reactions, it is said that Gardasil contains genetically engineered virus-like protein particles as well as aluminum, which can affect immune function. Judge for yourselves the validity of information at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/24/hpv-vaccine-victim-sues-merck.aspx

Further, according to the product information insert, it has not been evaluated for the potential to cause carcinogenicity or genotoxicity.i.e. its potential to cause cancer or to be toxic to genes. Thus, no one knows the effects of the HPV vaccine yet because from reports, clinical trials were carried out only for up to 5 years. The recommended age of vaccination in western countries is from 9 to 26 years old because 24% of females report being sexually active by age 15 years, 40% by age 16 years, and 70% by age 18 years in the United States. Does this same statistics apply in Malaysia?

Dr Diane M Harper, scientist, physician, professor and the director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group in the US and a lead researcher who spent 20 years developing the vaccine for the human papilloma virus said "Duration of efficacy is key to the entire question. If duration is at least fifteen years, then vaccinating 11-year-old girls will protect them until they are 26 and will prevent some precancers, but postpone most cancers. If duration of efficacy is less than fifteen years, then no cancers are prevented, only postponed. According to her ‘data available for Gardasil shows that efficacy lasts five years; there is no data showing that it remains effective beyond five years.’ Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-g-yerman/an-interview-with-dr-dian_b_405472.html

Is it necessary to vaccinate all 13 year olds given that the protection is for a period of 5 years only?. Thereafter, there is as yet, no mention of booster shots. Even if we were to remove the short term side effects issue from the discussion, if the efficacy is only for 5 years, our daughters would be protected till 18 years old against 70% of cervical cancers.  The question is whether we expect them to be sexually active within these 5 years. And what are the longer term side effects such as carcinogenicity and gene toxicity which have not been evaluated?

Do we want to expose them  to the  risks given that within these 5 years, the vaccination may not even be necessary for them? An option is to take a cautious approach to evaluate the longer term side effects which may emerge over time. I am not  taking a stand against anyone or any organisation because we all have our own choices to make. However, it is always best to do more research and evaluate for ourselves before we commit to the vaccination. Weigh the risks against the benefits. Take away the politics, take away the consumerism, it is the safety and health of our daughters that is at stake.

For further reading:-
1. Consumer Association http://www.consumer.org.my/index.php/health/healthcare/115-cervical-cancer-vaccines-tell-us-the-truth
2. New England Journal of Medicine  http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe078060