As Reported on KVUE News, Sunday February 15, 2009…
It was a hot issue here in Texas a couple of years ago. Now Gardasil, the vaccine against the virus that causes cervical caner, is back in the spotlight.
Gabi Swank, a 16-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, says she and other girls are dying from the side-effects of the drug. Once a cheerleader with a 4.0 grade point average, she is now homebound, suffering from seizures, migraines and even two small strokes.
Swank’s doctors diagnosed her with cerebral vasculatis, a terminal disease. And he blames Gardasil complications.
Now, Swank and her mother are on a mission.
“She looked at me with the most somber face and she said, ‘If I have to die to save other girls, then I am prepared to do that’,” said Gabi’s mother, Shannon Schrag.
“I want this drug off the market,” said Gabi.
Governor Rick Perry made headlines two years ago when he made Texas the first state to require the vaccine against human pappilomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease. Conservatives and parents rights groups felt the requirement condoned pre-marital sex.
The makers of Gardasil say the drug is safe. They’re hoping to vaccinate boys as well.
ABC Affiliate KAKE 10, also carried the story “Lawmaker Wants Answers On Gardasil” and added:
…Twenty-eight women have died, reportedly from the Gardasil vaccination. The FDA says it continues to follow the drug, but it maintains the benefits outweigh the risks.
In 2007, Wichita Representative Delia Garcia introduced a bill that would require all young women to get the HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer. Now she wants the FDA to look further into the side effects to make sure it’s safe.
To watch the video that accompanied the story click the following link: http://www.kake.com/health/headlines/39581687.html
