Gardasil was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) two years ago for girls aged nine-26 and protects against sexually transmitted diseases caused by four particularly dangerous strains of HPV (Human Papillomavirus) in women that are responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts. Three shots are given over six-months. Merck & Company—Gardasil’s maker—said 16 million doses have been administered since its approval.
Now, one Northern California family is wondering if Gardisal injections have nearly paralyzed a healthy 13-year-old girl. Jenny’s story was recently highlighted on CBS News and focused on how Jenny was seemingly healthy 15 months prior to receiving her third shot of Gardasil. Following the third Gardasil injection, Jenny began showing signs of having been stricken with a degenerative muscle disease. The family says Jenny is now almost completely paralyzed and believes “there may be a link” between the paralysis and the Gardasil injection and has opened a blog in the hopes of determining if Jenny’s paralysis and Gardasil are, indeed, linked and is urging other girls with similar “post-vaccination” responses to speak out at: http://www.jenjensfamily.blogspot.com/
Merck’s response? “Based on the facts that we’ve received, the information does not suggest that this event was causally associated with vaccination.” Also, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 11- and 12-year-old girls receive Gardasil as part of school vaccination efforts.
But there have been problems. Serious problems. U.S. News & World Report says there have been other possible adverse side effects linked to Gardasil and the New York Post reports that Gardasil has been associated to medical problems. We also recently reported on a 14-year-old girl named Katherine Kimzey who experienced debilitating headaches, fainting spells, and arthritis-like stiffness. She became so dizzy she could barely walk, was hospitalized, missed nearly one month of school, and suffered a seizure. Because Katherine’s symptoms began soon after she received her second shot and symptoms seemed to match many of the 5,000 reports filed through a national database that monitors vaccine safety, Katherine’s mother, Michelle, believes the problems stem from Gardasil. “When you read everybody’s stories, they’re too similar not to be related,” Kimzey said. CBS News stated that other reports of possible problems stemming from Gardisil have been received on the CDC and FDA’s VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Re
porting System), on which anyone can report side affects they feel they are having to a drug or shot.
Despite the adverse reactions emerging in girls following Gardasil injections, researchers are now looking at whether Gardasil should be given to boys to prevent HPV transmission in the rarer and deadly cancers that can occur in men and Merck is collecting data to “consider whether boys should receive the inoculation as well.”
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May 9th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I have a 17 year old daughter who had never been sick in her life other than minor colds and things of that nature. After recieving the Gardasil injection she has suffered muscle weakness, joint aches, has been hospitialized, and missed a whole year of school. She became ill after her third injection. She noticed weakness in her muscle during cheerleading tryouts. I have taken her to several doctors both near to our home and some distance away but all of them came up with negative testing. She is afraid of waking up one morning and not being able to walk at all. She has severe back and leg pain, aching, and pin sticking sensation in her legs and feet. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP! I LOVE MY DAUGHTER VERY MUCH AND IT HURTS TO SEE HER SUFFER THE WAY SHE IS.PLEASE WE NEED HELP!
May 28th, 2009 at 10:09 am
My 13 year old, Samantha, recieved the Gardisil injection and less than 24 hours later had arm pain, leg pain, chest pain, abdominal pain, fever, and nausea. Her hands had curled into claws. We had to rush her to the hospital, where they basically just filled her full of IV pain medication. Weeks later the symptoms are still there. She has missed weeks of school so far and we have no idea what the future holds. We were back in the Emergency Room last night again with severe abdominal pain. Has anybody out there got an answer? Somebody needs to step forward before more young women are hurt or dead. I know everyone out there is very cozy with Merck, but will one of you in the health profession do something?