Following controversy over U.S. state legislatures requiring young girls to take Gardasil, Merck’s vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), a number of severe side effects have been observed along with the recent deaths of 3 young girls. Gardasil is now marketed towards men and women up to age 26 as a “preventative” tool against anal cancer. As of January 2010, Gardasil has been linked to 49 deaths and countless side-effects, while cancer associated with HPV is only responsible for 1% of all cancer deaths. Why then, is it being recommended to millions worldwide?

 

 As of June 2009, 15 million girls have been injected with the Gardasil vaccine. Out of 15 million people, 49 deaths may not seem like a lot. Unfortunately, however, there are many more cases of extreme side effects from the vaccination. In fact, the amount of adverse reactions was so high that Judicial Watch, a group that claims to expose government corruption, was forced to step in. Between May 2009 and September 2010 alone, Gardasil was linked to 3,589 harmful reactions and 16 deaths. Of the 3,589 adverse reactions, many were debilitating. Permanent disability was the result of 213 cases; 25 resulted in the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome; and there were 789 other “serious” reports according to FDA documents.

In August 2008, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) required all female immigrants between the ages of 11 and 26 to receive at least one dose of the Gardasil vaccination if they planned on entering the United States. The enforcement was due to a law created in 1996 that required immigrants to receive any vaccination that was recommended by the United States government. The difference between the citizens of the U.S. and the immigrants seeking refuge within the country, is that the citizens can refuse any vaccination they do not wish to receive. While the requirement was lifted on December 14, 2009, countless immigrants were affected. This held especially true for the female immigrants who intended to have children. According to reports, 28 women experienced miscarriages within 30 days of receiving the Gardasil injection. In response, the FDA said it is not worth investigating. Going against the FDA claims that Gardasil was completely safe, some government officials expressed concern over the fact that Gardasil was ever recommended for U.S. citizens.