What You Need To Know About Gardasil

My husband and I were watching TV one evening when a commercial for a new drug came on. While I don't think drug companies should be allowed to advertise to the public (a major conflict of interest, but that's another post), this commercial caught my attention. The drug was called Gardasil and the women in the ad were praising it for its prevention of "certain types of cervical cancer". What upset me was the lack of the mention that this type of cancer is caused by a STD (sexually transmitted disease). Interesting, they left that part out, and I noticed.

I decided to Google Gardasil and found several websites with information about it. However, one website in particular was not what I expected and I found out some extremely disturbing facts about Gardasil vaccinations.

The first thing I noticed that I thought was a little strange was it was a pediatric website. That's right, a children's' medical information website. Why would a drug to prevent a STD be explained on a pediatric site? What I found out made me very angry.

Gardasil will only be administered to girls before they become sexually active. Consequently, the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that proceeds the CDC) recommends that Gardasil be routinely given to girls when they are 11 or 12 years of age. Gardasil can be started as early as age 9 though, and can also be given to women 13 to 26 years old. The goal is to vaccinate girls as young as NINE YEARS OLD for a sexually transmitted disease.

I wonder what these parents are going to tell their daughter she is being vaccinated for? Do they know they are opening the entire Pandora's Box of sexual information with their 9-year-old daughter? If they don't discuss it at that time, when do they tell her she had this vaccine... when she leaves for college? When she gets married? Why did her parents have her get it? Because they didn't think she could wait until marriage before losing her virginity? Our daughter is almost 7, and I can't imagine I will think it is remotely appropriate to have this discussion in two short years.

Although I have not encountered this yet, I expect schools to begin to educate girls about cervical cancer and that they need to get this vaccine to prevent it. I doubt they will proceed this message with the information that the vaccine is unnecessary if girls remain virgins until marriage.

Parents, it is of the utmost importance that you are aware of your girls' pediatrician and what he could give your child. Investigate every vaccine presented prior to permitting that your child receives it. Do not let your doctor override your moral conviction, and be sure to explain why you refuse. Please do not think I don't have my children vaccinated against other childhood diseases, because I do! My children have all their shots within a few months of the recommended age. A pediatric vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease is not the same thing.

What is implied by Merck with the use of Gardasil:
1. Untreated HPV will most likely develop into cervical cancer.
2. You can only get HPV through a sexual encounter with an infected partner.
3. Gardasil is only administered to girls who are virgins.

Christian parents, we must educate our daughters that God loves us and His laws are for our benefit. Our sons have to be taught this lesson as well. They must remain pure for their future wives, so as not to bring disease in their marriage to their beloved wife. Gods design for us is perfect. One man, one woman for life. Parents, understand what is assumed if we allow our children to get this vaccine; we assume they will be sexually active outside of marriage and not monogamous.

Here is the pediatric website I read, I've also included their information about Gardasil below.

Gardasil is a new vaccine being made by Merck & Co., Inc. and which has been approved by the FDA to prevent cervical cancer in females between the ages of 9 and 26 years of age.

What Gardasil Is Used For:
Gardasil is a vaccine against the HPV or Human Papillomavirus. The Gardasil vaccine protects recipients against 4 types of HPV, including the two types that cause most cervical cancers and the two types that cause the most genital warts.

HPV Facts:
HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that causes genital warts, abnormal Pap tests, and cervical cancer.

About 20 million people are infection with HPV in the United States and almost 3,700 women die of cervical cancer in the US each year.
Since many people have no symptoms and not even know that they are infected with HPV, they can pass on their HPV infection to their sexual partners without knowing.
There is no cure for HPV infections.

Gardasil Facts:
Gardasil won't prevent all forms of genital warts or cervical cancers, but it is highly effective at preventing genital warts and cervical cancers that are caused by the types of HPV that the vaccine targets.

Who Should Get Gardasil:
Since Gardasil prevents HPV, a sexually transmitted disease, it is important that it be given before people become sexually active. In fact, the ACIP recommends that Gardasil be routinely given to girls when they are 11 or 12 years of age. Gardasil can be started as early as age 9 though, and can also be given to women 13 to 26 years old.

Gardasil Side Effects:
According to the CDC, so far in testing, 'there appear to be no serious side effects. The most common side effect is brief soreness at the injection site.'

Gardasil Controversy:
Some experts think that Gardasil may lead to controversy because some parents will have problems thinking about giving a vaccine against a STD to pre-teens. Other parents might not want a vaccine against a STD at all, believing that their children could not be at risk. And still others think that Gardasil might encourage promiscuity, since it could foster the belief that it protects against STDs.

What You Need To Know:
Gardasil is not a 'STD vaccine' in the sense that it prevents all STDs. It simply provides protection against certain types of HPV, but not other STDs, such as HIV or herpes.
Cervarix is another HPV vaccine that is being developed by GlaxoSmithKline.

References:
Genital HPV Infection - CDC Fact Sheet.
HPV Vaccine - CDC Fact Sheet.
CDC Cervical Cancer Screening Fact Sheet.
Immunization against genital human papillomaviruses. Bonnez W - Pediatr Infect Dis J - 01-NOV-2005; 24(11): 1005-6.