“The most frequent serious health events after GARDASIL shots are neurological symptoms,” said NVIC Health Policy Analyst Vicky Debold, RN, Ph.D. “These young girls are experiencing severe headaches, dizziness, temporary loss of vision, slurred speech, fainting, involuntary contraction of limbs (seizures), muscle weakness, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet and joint pain. Some of the girls have lost consciousness during what appears to be seizures.” Debold added “The manufacturer product insert should include mention of syncopal episodes, seizures and Guillain-Barre Syndrome so doctors and parents are aware these vaccine adverse responses have been associated with the vaccine.”

VAERS reports also indicate the doctors are administering GARDASIL to girls and women at the same with Tdap, DT, meningococcal (Menactra), hepatitis A, and other vaccines, even though the Merck product insert states that, with the exception of hepatitis B vaccine, “Co-administration of GARDASIL with other vaccines has not been studied.” There is no publicly available information about how many of the 9 to 15 year old girls in Merck’s pre- licensure clinical trials received GARDASIL simultaneously with hepatitis B vaccine.

Although approximately half of all families in the U.S. select a pediatrician in private practice to provide their children routine care, including vaccinations, children can receive government subsidized reduced cost or free vaccinations in public health clinics through the Vaccines for Children program if they cannot afford to pay for vaccinations administered by private pediatricians. NVIC’s survey of four private pediatric practices in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. found that parents could be charged anywhere from $525 to $930 for three GARDASIL shots depending upon whether the child was a first-time or current patient. Costs for the vaccine plus an administration fee ranged from $140 to $275 per shot with an additional office visit charge that fluctuated between $35 and $185 depending upon whether a nurse or doctor saw the child.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. and most persons naturally clear the infection from the body without symptoms. However, many years of chronic HPV infection is associated with a higher risk of pre- cancerous changes in the cervix that can lead to cancer unless diagnosed and treated promptly. High risk factors for chronic HPV infection include smoking, long-term use of oral contraceptives and co-infection with HIV, herpes and chlamydia. There has been a more than 70 percent drop in cervical cancer deaths in American women since the 1950′s due to routine pap smears and nearly all cervical cancers can be prevented with regular pap smear screening and treatment.

In its product manufacturer insert, Merck states that “Vaccination does not substitute for routine cervical cancer screening. Women who receive GARDASIL should continue to undergo cervical cancer screening per standard of care.” Merck also states that “The duration of immunity following a complete schedule of immunization with GARDASIL has not been established. ”

For more information about HPV infection and GARDASIL safety, including NVIC’s five-page report on GARDASIL adverse event reports to VAERS as well as a direct link to VAERS reports, go to NVIC’s website at http://www.nvic. org.

National Vaccine Information Center

http://www.nvic. org

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