New Evidence Demolishes Claims of Safety and Effectiveness of HPV
Vaccine
By Dr. Mercola
There are currently two HPV vaccines on the market, but if there
was any regard for sound scientific evidence, neither would be
promoted as heavily as they are.
The first, Gardasil, was licensed by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) in 2006. It is now recommended as a routine
vaccination for girls and women between the ages of 9-26 in the US.
On October 25, 2011, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices also voted to recommend giving the HPV vaccine to males
between the ages of 11 and 21. The second HPV vaccine, Cervarix, was
licensed in 2009.
Were it to be discovered that the HPV vaccine, in fact, does not
effectively prevent cancer, then young women (and now boys) are
being exposed to clearly unacceptable health risks. And that's
precisely what a recent study has concluded...
Review of HPV Trials Conclude Effectiveness is Still Completely
Unproven
Published online on September 24,1
a systematic review of pre- and post-licensure trials of the HPV
vaccine by a Canadian team shows that its effectiveness is not only
overstated (through the use of selective reporting or "cherry
picking" data) but also completely unproven.
The summary states it quite clearly:
"We carried out a systematic review of HPV vaccine pre-
and post-licensure trials to assess the evidence of their
effectiveness and safety. We find that HPV vaccine clinical
trials design, and data interpretation of both efficacy and
safety outcomes, were largely inadequate. Additionally, we note
evidence of selective reporting of results from clinical
trials (i.e., exclusion of vaccine efficacy figures
related to study subgroups in which efficacy might be lower or
even negative from peer-reviewed publications).
Given this, the widespread optimism regarding HPV
vaccines long-term benefits appears to rest on a number of
unproven assumptions (or such which are at odd with factual
evidence) and significant misinterpretation of available data.
For example, the claim that HPV vaccination will
result in approximately 70% reduction of cervical cancers is
made despite the fact that the clinical trials data have not
demonstrated to date that the vaccines have actually prevented a
single case of cervical cancer (let alone
cervical cancer death), nor that the current overly optimistic
surrogate marker-based extrapolations are justified.
Likewise, the notion that HPV vaccines have an
impressive safety profile is only supported by highly flawed
design of safety trials and is contrary to accumulating evidence
from vaccine safety surveillance databases and case reports
which continue to link HPV vaccination to serious adverse
outcomes (including death and permanent disabilities).
We thus conclude that further reduction of cervical
cancers might be best achieved by optimizing cervical screening
(which carries no such risks) and targeting other factors of the
disease rather than by the reliance on vaccines with
questionable efficacy and safety profiles." [Emphasis mine]
It is truly mindboggling, and a true testament to the conflicts
of interest manipulating public health guidelines, that the HPV
vaccine has received such robust backing by health officials and
legislators alike.
Back in 2007, just a year after Gardasil's introduction to the
market, Texas Governor Rick Perry went so far as signing an
executive order mandating sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against
HPV. Not surprisingly, Perry's former chief of staff was then a
Merck lobbyist. Fortunately, the Legislature subsequently overturned
his order.
It's important to realize that the HPV vaccine only protects
against a small select set of HPV viruses that can lead to cell
abnormalities that in some instances can cause
cervical cancer, if the abnormalities are not identified and
treated. So in reality, it's a misnomer to call it an
anti-cancer vaccine. And it's massively misleading, if not a
deliberate deception, to claim it "will" save lives.
Today, six years after licensure, we STILL have absolutely no
proof, not a shred of actual evidence, indicating that Gardasil
actually prevents cancer in the long-term and/or reduces cervical
cancer mortality. What we have instead, is tens of thousands of
adverse event reports and 122 deaths, as of mid-August.
Media Reports on Merck Study, But Ignores Canadian Review
What makes this issue so infuriating is the complete lack of
transparency about the potential risks of the vaccine. Just days
after the online release of the featured Canadian review, which
obliterates claims of both safety and effectiveness, the Wall
Street Journal2
reported that:
"A new study of Merck and Co's Gardasil cervical-cancer
vaccine showed it was associated with fainting on the day of
inoculation and skin infections two weeks afterward, but no link
with more serious health problems was found. ...The Gardasil
study – led by the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in
Oakland, California – was required by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration and the European Medicines Agency to provide an
additional look at the vaccine's safety in a large group of
people. It was funded by Merck.
...More than 200 categories of illnesses such as asthma,
diabetes, nervous-system disorders and medical conditions such
as attention deficit disorder, back pain and other injuries were
reviewed. In most cases the condition existed before the vaccine
was given. There were 14 deaths recorded among girls and women
in the study but the causes, including car accidents, congenital
heart problems, suicide, lupus and pneumonia, weren't linked to
the vaccine..."
There's not a single mention of the Canadian review. Likewise,
WebMD's HPV page,3
which was reviewed by Kimball Johnson, MD on August 13, 2012,
plainly states:
"No serious HPV vaccine side effects have been found,
although fainting spells following injection have been reported
in teens and young adults. Sometimes soreness occurs at the
injection site."
This kind of blatant hiding of potential adverse effects leaves
me speechless... Where is the journalistic integrity and
accountability?
WebMD is the second most visited health web site on the entire
web (Mercola.com
is fourth), so to say they have an influence over the health
choices made by the average US citizen would be an understatement.
The general belief is that it's a first-rate, trustworthy source of
"independent and objective" information about health, but as I
reported two years ago, the site is in fact heavily influenced by
the pharmaceutical industry.
The HPV Vaccine Risks You're Not Being Told About
As of August 13, 2012, VAERS has received 119 reports of death
following HPV vaccination,4
as well as:
- 894 reports of disability
- 517 life-threatening adverse events
- 9,889 emergency room visits
- 2,781 hospitalizations
And WebMD had the gall to misinform the public by stating that
there have been NO serious side effects associated with HPV
vaccination! What parent would not consider even the remote
potential for permanent disability and/or death worthy of at least a
brief mention?
Recent data pulled by VAERS research analyst Janny Stokvis5
also show a dramatic and recent increase in abnormal pap smears,
cervical dysplasia, and cervical cancer following HPV vaccination.
Bear in mind that cervical cancer typically does not strike until
your late 40's. According to 2005 -2009 data by the National Cancer
Institute,6
the median age at diagnosis for cervical cancer in the US is 48.
Only 0.2 percent of those diagnosed with cervical cancer were under
the age 20, so it's quite rare in this age group. It is
estimated that 12,170 American women will be diagnosed with cervical
cancer in 20127,
so statistically only 2,434 women under the age of 20 would be
diagnosed with cervical cancer. Because we're dealing with
relatively low numbers to begin with, it makes the rapid increases
detailed below all the more worrisome – especially when you consider
that the vaccine is supposed to REDUCE cancer incidence.
The following data is for girls ages 14 to 26.8
According to Stokvis, some of the reports of cervical abnormalities
are occurring four to five years after HPV vaccination, so we're
just now starting to see some of the longer-term ramifications,
since the vaccine has only been on the market for six years.
|
March 2011 |
March 2012 |
% increase in 12 months |
Abnormal pap smear |
384 |
479 |
24.74 % |
Cervical dysplasia |
138 |
190 |
37.68 % |
Cervical cancer |
41 |
50 |
21.95 % |
This new data supports previous suspicions that the
HPV vaccine might actually increase your risk of cervical
cancer. I wrote about this two years ago. The information came
straight from Merck and was presented to the FDA prior to approval.9
According to Merck's own research, if you have been exposed to HPV
16 or 18 prior to injection and take the vaccine, you increase your
risk of precancerous lesions, or worse, by 44.6 percent...
Additionally, since Merck's research indicates Gardasil may also
'provide cross-protection' against other strains of HPV that are
closely related to HPV 16 and 18 (two of the four strains included
in the vaccine), this would mean prior exposure to these additional
strains (which are not included in the vaccine itself) may pose an
additional increased risk for cervical cancer when combined
with vaccination.
As of August 13, 2012, more than 27,023 adverse event reports10
have been filed with the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting
System (VAERS),11
including 918 reports from boys and men between the ages of nine and
44, who were given HPV shots. Keep in mind that it is estimated that
only between one and 10 percent of serious events, which occur after
vaccination, are ever reported to VAERS.12,
13
In addition, FDA researchers revealed in 2009 that nearly 70
percent of Gardasil vaccine adverse events reported to VAERS came
from Merck, which indicates that the majority of doctors are
reporting vaccine-related injuries and deaths directly to Merck
instead of to VAERS.14
Who knows how many of the Gardasil-related injuries and deaths never
make it from Merck's files to the VAERS database.
Adverse events reported to VAERS post-HPV vaccination include:
Bell's Palsy |
Guillain-Barre Syndrome |
Seizures |
Paralysis |
Blindness |
Pancreatitis |
Speech problems |
Short term memory loss |
Ovarian cysts |
Blood clotting and heart problems |
Miscarriages15
and fetal abnormalities |
Cardiac arrest16
and sudden death |
Large-Scale Study Shows HPV Vaccine is Ineffective and Increases
Rate of Carcinogeic HPV Types in Vaccinated Women
The featured study alone is big news, but that's not all. Other
damning studies have also been completely ignored by media and
public health officials alike. As reported by
menstruationresearch.org in June:17
"In January 2012, the American Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynecology published the ATHENA HPV study18
announcing the results of a large cervical cancer screening
trial, enrolling 47,208 women 21 years of age or older at 61
clinical sites throughout the United States. The authors
reported that in a sub group of 12,852 young women, the
HPV vaccine reduced HPV-16 infections only 0.6% in vaccinated
women vs. unvaccinated women.
Most disturbing are the data that showed other
high-risk HPV infections were diagnosed in vaccinated women 2.6%
to 6.2% more frequently than unvaccinated women. In
fact, the study reported that the increased rate of
infections by carcinogenic HPV types in vaccinated women (other
than those targeted by Gardasil®) is four to 10 times higher
than the reduction in HPV 16/18 infections."
Yet another recent British study19
published in the journal Vaccine on May 14, 2012, states:
"Estimates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine impact
in clinical trials and modeling studies rely on DNA tests of
cytology or biopsy specimens to determine the HPV type
responsible for a cervical lesion. DNA of several oncogenic HPV
types may be detectable in a specimen. However, only one type
may be responsible for a particular cervical lesion.
Misattribution of the causal HPV type for a
particular abnormality may give rise to an apparent increase in
disease due to non-vaccine HPV types following vaccination
("unmasking")... There could be an apparent maximum increase of
3-10% in long-term cervical cancer incidence due to non-vaccine
HPV types following vaccination... Unmasking
may be an important phenomenon in HPV post-vaccination
epidemiology, in the same way that has been observed following
pneumococcal conjugate vaccination." [Emphasis mine]
Talk to Your Kids about HPV and Gardasil
There are far better ways to protect yourself or your young
daughters against cervical cancer than getting Gardasil or Cervarix
vaccinations, and it's important you let your children know this.
Remember, in more than 90 percent of cases, your immune system
can clear up the HPV infection within two years on its own, so
keeping your immune system strong is important.
In addition, HPV infection is spread through sexual contact and
research20
has demonstrated that using condoms can reduce your risk of HPV
infection by 70 percent, which is far more effective than the HPV
vaccine! Be sure your kids know that this infection is sexually
transmitted, so the risk of infection can be greatly reduced by
lifestyle choices, including the use of condoms. Also let them know
that, even if they get vaccinated, it is important that girls and
women are screened every few years for cervical changes that may
indicate pre-cancerous lesions because there is little guarantee
that either Gardasil or Cervarix will prevent cervical cancer..
Jerry Brown Signs Bill Requiring Signatures for Those Opting Out of
Vaccinations
Last year, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that
allows minor children as young as 12 years old to be given Gardasil,
Cervarix, hepatitis B vaccine and future vaccines for sexually
transmitted diseases without a parent's knowledge or consent.
Last month, the Sacramento Bee21
reported that Governor Brown signed legislation (AB2109) that
requires parents seeking a personal belief exemption to vaccination
for their children to pay for an extra office visit to obtain the
signature of a medical doctor or other state designated health care
worker that confirms the parents have reviewed information about
risks and benefits of vaccines. The new law will take effect in
January 2014. Wouldn't it be nice if parents choosing to vaccinate
their children were given truthful information about
vaccine risks and benefits rather than complicating the process for
those, who have already done their homework and have decided a
vaccine is not in the best interest of their child?
According to the Sacramento Bee:
"Democratic Assemblyman Richard Pan of Sacramento
proposed the measure, Assembly Bill 2109, which requires the
statement to be signed by the parents and by a health care
practitioner.
In signing the bill, Brown said that he will direct the
state Department of Health to provide a way for people whose
religious beliefs preclude vaccinations from having to seek a
health care practitioner's signature. Brown noted that AB 2109
does not eliminate parents' current right to exclude their
children from vaccinations but attempts to ensure that they have
important health information in making that choice."
Why We Must Protect Vaccine Exemptions
Your
right to vaccine exemptions is increasingly under threat. All
across the United States, people are fighting for their right not to
be injected with vaccines against their will. These threats come in
a variety of guises like California
bill AB499,22
which permits minor children as young as 12 years old to be
vaccinated with sexually transmitted disease vaccines like Gardasil
without parental knowledge or parental consent!
In light of the evidence that HPV vaccines have not been proven
safe or effective, how wise is it to allow a young child to be
vaccinated without her parents even knowing about it? It's nothing
short of insanity.
I cannot stress enough how critical it is to get involved and
stand up for your human right to exercise informed consent and your
legal right to obtain non-medical vaccine exemptions. This does not
mean you have to opt out of all vaccinations if you decide that you
want to given one or more vaccines to your child. The point is,
everyone should have the right to evaluate the potential benefits
and real risks of any pharmaceutical products, including vaccines,
and opt out of any vaccine they decide is unnecessary or not in the
best interest of their child's health. Every child is different and
has a unique personal and family medical history, which may include
severe allergies or autoimmune and neurological disorders, that
could increase the risks of vaccination.
It is your parental right to make potentially life-altering
health decisions for your own children. Why wouldn't you
want to keep that right – even if you want your child to receive
most or all vaccinations currently available? Tomorrow there might
be a vaccine you don't want your child to receive, but if
you've failed to support informed consent rights and the legal right
for all Americans to take medical and non-medical vaccine
exemptions, you've given away your own freedom to choose in the
future...
What You Can Do To Make a Difference
While it seems "old-fashioned," the only truly effective actions
you can take to protect the right to informed consent to vaccination
and legal vaccine exemptions, is to get personally involved with
your state legislators and the leaders in your community. Mass
vaccination policies are made at the federal level but vaccine laws
are made at the state level, and it is at the state level where your
action to protect your vaccine choice rights can have the greatest
impact.
Signing up for NVIC's free Advocacy Portal at
www.NVICAdvocacy.org not
only gives you access to practical, useful information to help you
become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community,
but when national vaccine issues come up, you will have the
up-to-date information and call to action items you need at your
fingertips to make sure your voice is heard.
So please, as your first step,
sign up for the
NVIC Advocacy Portal.
Contact Your Elected Officials
Write or email your elected state representatives and share your
concerns. Call them, or better yet, make an appointment to visit
them in person in their office. Don't let them forget you!
It is so important for you to reach out and make sure your
concerns get on the radar screen of the leaders and opinion makers
in your community, especially the politicians you elect and are
directly involved in making vaccine laws in your state. These are
your elected representatives, so you have a right and a
responsibility to let them know what's really happening in
your life and the lives of people you know when it comes to vaccine
mandates. Be sure to share the "real life" experiences that you or
people you know have had with vaccination.
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