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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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10

Cervical Cancer Vaccine Linked to 32 Deaths

Teen-targeted Gardasil also tied to blood clots, fainting in gov't study

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(Newser) – Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine marketed to teen girls, has been linked to 32 deaths and other serious side effects including fainting and blood clots, according to a government report released yesterday. Since 2006, several complications of the vaccine have been reported, ABC News reports, ranging from neurological disorders to less threatening side effects like fever or nausea. In a few rare cases, patients died soon after taking it.

The report came alongside a cautionary editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association that could give some parents pause. "I know it was the Gardasil," says one woman, whose daughter died of unconfirmed causes two weeks after her final shot. "They were saying that it was safe. So I kind of went against my better instinct [and let her] get the shot." But experts note that such reports aren’t verified, and some don’t think such rare occurrences should bench the drug.

In this Feb. 2, 2007 file photo, one dose of the vaccine Gardasil, developed by Merck & Co., is seen in Austin, Texas.
In this Feb. 2, 2007 file photo, one dose of the vaccine Gardasil, developed by Merck & Co., is seen in Austin, Texas.   (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck, file)
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I know it was the Gardasil. They were really recommending it, saying that there weren't any side effects, that it was safe. So I kind of went against my better instinct. - Emily Tarsell, whose daughter died 18 days after getting the vaccine

We know it does what it says—it prevents HPV infections. I don't think we yet know the long term benefits or risks. - Dr. Timothy Johnson, ABC Chief Medical Editor

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10 comments
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piyrwq
Aug 19, 09 12:31 PM CDT
I'm tired of anecdotal evidenced being passed off as newsworthy. They tell us 36 people with serious side effects (including death), but not how many people took the vaccine, how many would have died of cervical cancer without the vaccine. Numbers like these are a 1000x more useful than an unconfirmed anecdote. We've already gone through this mess with vaccines/autism. Reply
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+5
IN RESPONSE:
IndependentThinker
Aug 19, 09 1:05 PM CDT
If you want to know more read the article not just the abstract..."As of June 1, 2009, the CDC reported that over 25 million doses of Gardasil, which is recommended for women between ages 9-26, have been distributed in the U.S. and there was an average of 53.9 VAERS reports per 100,000 vaccine doses. Of these, 40 percent occurred on the day of vaccination, and 6.2 percent were serious, including 32 reports of death."
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+2
IN RESPONSE:
Unaffiliated
Aug 19, 09 1:11 PM CDT
There's no doubt that vaccines have saved millions of lives, but they need to be studied more carefully, and patients need to educate themselves on the risks associated with being vaccinated.
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0
IN RESPONSE:
piyrwq
Aug 19, 09 1:25 PM CDT
IT - Thanks for the reminder - I should have followed the link. I'm just tired of anecdotes (especially in the health care debate). I worry this might be a case of "Read less, know less".
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-2
IN RESPONSE:
cognitivefilter
Aug 19, 09 7:01 PM CDT
the risks or side effects of guardasil never included fainting, much less death. i truly think big pharma is protecting something hugely bad about this vaccine.
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+1

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