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Children
Gardasil,
Unproven and Unnecessary Cervical Cancer Savior
by LeeAnn Rahn
To say Gardasil, the
vaccine being promoted by Merck, is the necessary savior of our young
girls against Cervical Cancer, is unproven and unnecessary, is putting
it mildly. When the facts just do not support the theories (or
the marketing propaganda), it is apparent something is amiss.
Gardasil was
approved by the FDA in June of 2006 for females age 9 to 26 and is
intended to protect women from the four most common types of human
papillomavirus - two "presumed" to cause cervical cancer and two
"presumed" to cause genital warts.
I am sure most of you have heard of Gardasil in one way or another by
now. If you've not seen the mass marketing campaign on TV then
you may have heard about Governor Perry of Texas by-passing the
legislative process and mandating the vaccine for all sixth grade
girls. It would seem one would think twice before making an
executive decision of this magnitude when the conflict of interest is
plain as day.
Beyond all of the mass marketing generally used to "push" prescription
drugs (this time a vaccine) on the uninformed public, previous to last
week*, Merck had also been especially busy attempting to persuade
multiple states' legislatures to include Gardasil in the long list of
compulsory vaccinations required for entrance to public
school. Why would Merck put so much extra effort into
lobbying when, traditionally, vaccines have a low profit margin
anyway? A couple possible reasons seem to stand out. First,
Merck has had a bit of a rough time lately. The stack of lawsuits
from Vioxx and Fosamax not only put a a few billion holes in the budget
but also in their credibility. It seems Merck is hoping for
a bit of good publicity with Gardasil. Second, it seems likely
they are hoping Gardasil will fill a couple billion of those
holes. Gardasil is the most expensive vaccine on the market
around 10 times more expensive. It costs $120.000 USD per
injection and three injections are required over a six month
period. *Based on information I
came across last week, Merck has stopped publicly lobbying state
legislatures though many believe the lobbying still will take place
just a bit more covertly.
What
is Human
Papillomavirus (HPV) and just how common is it in the United States?
HPV is just that - a
virus. To be more exact, it is a sexually transmitted
virus. More than 100 types of HPV have been detected. Of
the 100 viruses, around 30 of them are "presumed" to be linked to
cervical cancer. The two most common viruses, HPV-16 and HPV-18
are the most common and "presumed" to be linked to 70% of
cervical cancer cases.
How common is HPV? Do you believe there is any chance you have or
have had one of the 100 strains? If you are sexually active (or
have ever been), chances are a big fat YES! According to the CDC,
if you are a woman over the age of 50, you have an 80% chance of
currently having or having had an HPV infection in your lifetime.
Beyond that, according to CDC statistics, around 6.2 million Americans
contract a new HPV infection every year.[1]
Hmmm..... why
then, in the United States, are there only around 10,000 cases of
cervical cancer each year and only 3700 deaths if HPV is
unequivocally the cause of cervical cancer?
Please read on for some very compelling reasons you should think twice
before vaccinating your daughters or yourself against HPV with Gardasil.
Clinical
Trial
Hanky-Panky
It is amazing how
easy it is to skew clinical trial test results in favor of a particular
outcome and the pharmaceutical industry is the master
manipulator. It is seen far too often and the Gardasil clinical
trials are no exception. The National Vaccine Information Center
(NVIC) criticized Merck and the FDA for fast tracking Gardasil and feel
they have not been completely honest with the public about the clinical
trials.
According to the NVIC, Merck was allowed to use a potentially reactive
placebo instead of a non-reactive saline solution. Since the
Gardasil vaccine contains aluminum, Merck used a placebo which also
contained aluminum. The use of a potentially reactive placebo has
the ability to falsely increase the appearance of safety in vaccine or
drug during clinical trials. Aluminum adjuvants have been used
for many years and by definition are presumed to be safe, but they have
never been clinically tested for safety. In fact, studies have
shown aluminum adjuvants can enter the brain and aluminum can cause
nerve cell death.
Cervical
Cancer Can
be Avoided via Other Avenues
Since the
establishment believes Cervical Cancer is caused by a sexually
transmitted virus, one way to avoid Cervical Cancer would be
abstinence. Another way to avoid cervical cancer would be to use
a condom. Condom use has been shown to reduce the incidence of
HPV by 70 percent [2]. Remember
Gardasil claims to protects girls from 70 percent of cervical cancer
cases and 90 percent of genital warts.
The best way to
prevent cervical cancer, though, in my opinion, is through
nutrition and healthy living along with either of the above.
Additionally, in the United States and most other developed countries,
PAP Smears are more widely used and thus also help lower the rates of
cervical cancer by identifying pre-cancerous cells on the cervix.
In fact, most facilities test for far more than the 4 "high risk" HPV
subtypes contained in Gardasil.
No
Proof HPV
Actually Causes Cervical Cancer
It seems the
appearance of a cervical cancer vaccine has turned a non-proven theory
into "fact" as far as the medical establishment goes. Everyone
seems to feel the need to jump on the bandwagon and join in the crusade
when even the National Cancer Institute (NCI) says "direct" causation
has not been proven between HPV and cervical cancer (though they seem
to have 'jumped' along with the rest of them, even with inconclusive
data sitting right in front of them).
So if HPV does not cause cervical cancer then what does? Back
when Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) was in the spotlight, it was thought to
be the possible cause of cervical cancer. Ten years later or so,
HPV became the villain. There is quite a bit of science that goes
into this theory but unfortunately, the theory has never been
proven. HPV is found to be present in many cervical cancers and
based on that it has been deemed to be the cause.
Back in 1992, two molecular biologists from the University of
California at Berkeley found "a lack of consistent HPV DNA sequences
and consistent HPV gene expression in tumors that were HPV-positive"[3].
"They instead suggested that rare spontaneous or chemically induced
chromosome abnormalities which are consistently observed in both HPV
and HSV DNA - negative and positive cervical cancers induce cervical
cancer." [3] Beyond that, they pointed to
the possibility that wildly dividing cancer cells are more susceptible
to infection than resting cells, thus, if the virus was present, it
would just be an indicator of abnormal cell proliferation and not the
cause of it.
Simply stated, it seems to me that ill cell health is the initial cause
of cervical cancer and not the presence of HPV. If you have read
my article series on disease
and pH then you already know a healthy
cell with an alkaline pH is not susceptible to bacteria, viruses,
disease, etc. On the other hand, cells with an acidic pH are very
hospitable to a wide array of pathogens and abnormalities - including
cancer. So the fact that some (not all) cervical cancers
show an HPV infection is possibly due to the state of ill cell health
and the presence of HPV in the body which as you have already read is
very common.
No
Proof Gardasil
Actually Prevents Cervical Cancer
Yes, you read
right. There is no proof Gardasil actually prevents cancer in
young girls. So what does Gardasil actually do? It spurs
the creation of HPV antibodies for the four types included in the
vaccine. And yes, many have a long held belief that antibodies
equal resistance to a specific pathogen but once again that has been
disproven over and over again. Take a look at the chicken pox
vaccine; many vaccinated children are still getting chicken pox
nonetheless. The same goes with many other vaccines.
In addition, "Gardasil's product insert states their endpoint is the
prevention of "High Grade Disease", this encompasses CIN II - III and
adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) which are "immediate and necessary
precursors" for squamous cell and adenocarcinoma of the cervix.
The MAXIMUM median follow up in any of their studies is FOUR
years. However, the time course from CIN III to invasive cancer
averages between 8.1 to 12.6 years."[4] Seems a
bit premature and inappropriate to claim Gardasil prevents cervical
cancer.
Inadequate
Proof
Gardasil is Safe for Young Girls
Gardasil is yet
another drug to be fast tracked through the FDA. Cervical Cancer
only causes around 1% of all cancer deaths in the USA. It seems
fast tracking this vaccine was neither necessary nor appropriate.
The National Vaccine Information Center feel the testing on young girls
was woefully inadequate (apparently only tested on 250 9 year old girls
AND boys [5]) and worries no one at Merck, the CDC, or
the
FDA know if the Gardasil vaccine (especially when combined with the
hepatitis B vaccine) may contribute to the development of arthritis,
autoimmune, or brain disorders at they grow into teenagers and adults. [6]
During the clinical trial many adverse effects were reported including
headache, fever, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia,
gastroenteritis, appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, asthma,
bronchospasm, juvenile arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis,
reactive arthritis, lupus, and death (17 deaths).[6]
In
addition, birth defects were noted by the FDA. Apparently 5 women
who had received the vaccine around the time of conception, gave birth
to children with birth defects.[5]
Clinical trial
investigators and Merck, of course, dismissed most of the serious side
effects as
unrelated - possibly more clinical trial hanky panky?
Besides safety defined in clinical trial terms you also have to
consider long term safety. NO ONE knows how this vaccine will
affect the status of the HPV virus. It could cause another, more
dangerous form of the virus to become more prevalent, it could cause a
mutation of the virus, or it could cause another illness to
surface. A virus is a living entity and will fight to stay
alive.
It would be great if a simple vaccine could solve all of our problems
or cure cancer. Unfortunately, that is not the case. To
begin with, vaccines are toxic. They contain carcinogenic agents
and preservatives and have not proven themselves. A history
lesson on vaccines will be included in a future newsletter.
Beyond toxicity, our bodies were simply not designed to be healed in
that way. Our bodies need a strong immune system to protect them
and the best way to get there is through a balanced, healthy lifestyle
which includes proper nutrition, hydration, exercise, and adequate
sleep. Just as important, maybe more, is emotional health.
Emotional issues such as stress, anger, fear, anxiety, shame, guilt, or
grief , if not resolved and cleared, will cause an acidic pH in the
body and eventually manifest in some type of disease.
Newsletter
references:
Gardasil, Unproven and Unnecessary Cervical Cancer Savior
1. "STD Facts - Human Papillomavirus (HPV) ", CDC,
www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm
2. "More States Considering HPV Vaccine Requirement",
www.mercola.com/display/printpage.aspx?docid=34731&printpage=yes
3. "Feds Approve Unnecessary Cervical Cancer Vaccine That Will
Make Drug Company Billions",
www.mercola.com/display/printpage.aspx?docid=33466&printpage=yes
4. "OBGYN Questions HPV Vaccine Gardasil", The American College
of Obstetricians and Gynecology,
www.vaccineinfo.net/immunization/vaccine/hpv/doc_against_hpv.shtml
5. "Panel Says Cervical Cancer Vaccine Should Get Approved", USA
Today, www.usatoday.com
6. "Merck's Gardasil Vaccine Not Proven Safe For Little Girls",
June 27, 2006, National Vaccine Information Center,
www.nvic.org/pressreleases/pr62706gardasil.htm
7. "Texas Pliitics: Lawmakers: Rescind HPV Order", February 5,
2007,
http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/2007/02/lawmakers_resci.html
8. "Merck Turns to Vaccines to Save the Day",
www.mercola.com/display/printpage.aspx?docid=31737&printpage=yes
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