Gardasil-Sex, Lies and Videotapes

Merck the infamous maker of Vioxx is attempting to inject their new vaccine Gardasil into the arm of every preadolescent girl in the US. The series of 3 shots which costs over $900 total is said to be effective against some forms of HPV (human papillomavirus) that may cause cervical cancer in some women. (Notice the words some and may).

Merck was desperate to find a cash cow on the heals of the many lawsuits against Vioxx (Lie #1- Vioxx is a safe and effective drug for arthritis pain. According to internal documents Merck was fully aware of its potential to cause heart problems when it went to market). Merck attempted to go the mandatory vaccine route – a proven cash winner.. Merck used an initial one- two punch to both gain acceptance of its vaccine and assure that lawmakers would add it to the list of mandatory vaccines. Steps 1 (from Basic Marketing 101) create a need and desire for the vaccine. This was done through a massive advertising campaign including frequent TV commercials (videotapes) appealing to our emotions to save all our girls from the fate of cervical cancer. Step 2 (a proven Big Pharma technique) use lobbyists to bribe politicians to make the vaccine mandatory in their state. The governor of Texas bypassed .the legislature and issued an Executive order making the vaccine mandatory in his state. Merck was thrilled as several more states were due to follow. Then their plan backfired. For one thing parents called foul as they declared their right over the state to decide whether a vaccine that protected against sexually transmitted disease could be forced upon their daughters. And secondly the money trail behind the lobbying effects in Texas and other states became public knowledge. Merck retreated with its tail between its legs and promised to be good – no more payoffs.

Things were quiet for about a week or so and then coincidently a study came out that stated that 27% women between 18 and 59 were infected with HPV (I wonder who sponsored this research – is this .another attempt at Marketing 101- create a need and desire for a product and people will come knocking on your door). While the 27% figure sounds dire, the news headline and two minute news report on the TV which hyped the information failed to report the full facts of the story. The truth being that that the most important risk factors for cervical cancer are age, marital status and number of sexual partners. Also although 27% of women were shown to carry this virus it is believed that 90% of all HPV infections clear on their own in two years. Further only 2% of the women were infected with the type of HPV associated with cervical cancer and only 3% had one of the four types of HPV that Gardasil was designed to prevent. For more information please see http://www.aapsonline.org/alerts/alert-3-1-07.php

Gardasil has only been tested short term. Since the main risk factor for cervical cancer is risky sexual behavior, why should we mandate injecting all of our girls with this vaccine? No one knows the long term effects of this vaccine which may include sterility. I don’t know about you but I do not want my daughter to be a guinea pig in Merck’s vaccination program. Besides they lied about Vioxx – who knows what lies they are hiding about Gardasil.