The Facts on Gardasil: A Vaccine for Human Papilloma Virus
Experts believe almost all reports of serious adverse effects occurred by chance around the time a patient received the vaccine.
Since 2006, “the great majority (94%) of adverse events (reported to the manufacturer) have not been serious. These include fainting, pain at the injection site, headache, nausea and fever,” states the CDC, the governmental agency that monitors health problems and epidemics throughout the United States.
A more careful review of the 6% of reported cases involving serious illness or death, led the CDC to conclude that there was no common pattern linking those incidents to the vaccine.
“Gardasil continues to be safe and effective, and its benefits continue to outweigh its risk. We will continue to closely monitor the safety of Gardasil, that will potentially benefit the health of millions of women by providing protection against HPV,” according to the CDC website.
Up to 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year in the U.S., and nearly 4,000 women die annually from the disease.
Article Links:
US Food & Drug Admin., 2008. “Information from the CDC and FDA on the Safety of Gardasil Vaccine,” : http://www.fda.gov/CBER/safety/gardasil071408.htm
Maugh, T., 2008.
