Gardasil: One Less
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) has been infecting men and women for several years. The majority of people think sexually transmitted diseases are acquired strictly by engaging in risky sexual behaviors, but surprisingly a person can be infected with a sexually transmitted disease without ever engaging in sex. Things such as using a towel at a friend’s house or even using public bathrooms can transmit STDs. In 2006, a vaccine called Gardasil was developed to help protect against four types of HPV and cervical cancer. “The vaccine is for women and men ages 9-26. Gardasil is administered in three doses, over six months” (Hudson Par 2). The vaccine had been developed rather fast leaving people with the question, is this vaccine really safe? Some people doubt the safety of the vaccine, but it is safe.
The safety of the vaccine was questionable to people and still is today. Many people are skeptical of the vaccine because of the adverse events occurring after the use of the Gardasil Vaccine. “An analysis of reports of serious medical problems following the vaccination against cervical cancer with Merck’s Gardasil found that two-thirds of the patients required additional medical care, according to a Feb. 21, 2006 article in ‘The Washington Post’” (Adverse Event Reporting News Par 1). People expect to get a vaccine and have it help them not get sick and feel better. The fact that some who received the vaccine and supposedly experienced further difficulties was a scary thing, leaving people uneasy about the vaccine. In about a year after that, “as of the end of August 2007, the number of Gardasil related adverse events recorded by the Vaccine Event Reports has grown to 3,779 including eight deaths” (Mothering Par.1). To many people, seeing rising rates of adverse events occurring after the use of Gardasil is unusual. That gives people the feeling that it is strictly because of the vaccine, when in fact it can be because of several other things, such as underlying health problems that patients weren’t aware of previously. “Also the manufacturer of the Gardasil Vaccine, Merck, [was] the manufacturer of a painkiller called Vioxx which killed 55,000 people” (Charlotte Gerson Par 2). A company which produces a product that harms a large number of people is going to leave the question, “Is this product safe since previous ones before were not?” These reasons may be why people don’t consider the vaccine to be safe, but there are many things that say otherwise.
Although people have their doubts the vaccine is safe and reliable. The vaccine has been tested, monitored and approved by the Center for Disease Control and the Federal Drug Administration which are two extremely reliable sources. “The safety of the vaccine has been studied in clinical trials before it was licensed. For Gardasil, over 29,000 males and females participated in these trials” (Tori Hudson Par 2). The trials were done strictly to help see the effects of the vaccine on men and women before it was administered to the public. The Center for Disease Control and Federal Drug Administration has taken every possible precaution to ensure the vaccine is safe. Although some deaths and other medical problems have occurred sometime after the patient’s received the vaccine, the problems could have occurred due to having other unrecognized illnesses. “No deaths have been able to be directly linked to Gardasil in Australia, or in the U.S or Europe, and the TGA, US FDA and