Litigation process may protect our daughters from being
‘One-More’ victim to corporate greed and bad medical policy.
On June 8, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gardasil, the first vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer in girls and women. Gardasil, manufactured by Merck & Co., is for use in girls ages 9 to 26, and targets the human papillomavirus (HPV) strains linked to most cervical cancers.
Less than a year later, Gardasil has reportedly caused the deaths of at least three females – one died just three hours after getting the Gardasil vaccine.
On May 23, 2007, the public interest group Judicial Watch released documents obtained from the FDA, under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, detailing 1,637 reports of adverse reactions to Gardasil. Three deaths were related to the vaccine. One physician’s assistant reported that a female patient “died of a blood clot three hours after getting the Gardasil vaccine.” Two other reports, on girls 12 and 19, reported deaths relating to heart problems and/or blood clotting.
Of the 1,637 adverse reactions to Gardasil reported to the FDA since the drug was on the market, there were 371 serious reactions. Of the 42 women who received the vaccine while pregnant, 18 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormalities.
Side effects to Gardasil, as reported by Merck:
- Pelvic pain
- Severe stomach pain
- Pain, swelling or stiffness in joints
- Pain, swelling, redness or itching at the injection site
- Mild fever
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach
- Dizziness
- Runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough
- Muscle pain
According to the FDA data obtained by Judicial Watch, more serious side effects have occurred in Gardasil patients, including paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and seizures.
Merck has dismissed the adverse events in the females who had taken the vaccine, stating that the problems are probably unrelated. The FDA and also the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) add that the three deaths were unlikely to have been caused by Gardasil. The CDC said that two of the women were taking birth-control pills and died from blood clots, a known risk of contraceptive medication. The third, a 12-year-old girl, suffered from heart disease and died from a heart inflammation brought on by the flu.
About 16 states are considering mandating that Gardasil be given to public school children. The state of Virginia passed such a bill into law. Since its June 2006 introduction, Merck has distributed more than five million doses of Gardasil in the U.S. The vaccine is administered in three shots over a period of six months.
A cautionary note for those of you living in States that mandate the Gardasil vaccine: depending an how the legislation is worded, Merck may have a “get out of jail free” card and may be immune to any legal recourse an injured party would normally be able to pursue through the standard health malpractice process. Merck spread BIG money and ‘favors-to-be-named-later’ in State Legislatures across the county in 2006 and 2007 seeking the Cloak of Invisibility. For the most part they got what they paid for.
Inconvenient Women Get active and demand accountability!
