YOU Docs Daily
Gardasil: Should Kids Get This Anti-Cancer Vaccine?
Q. I recently saw an article on a natural health site that said the Gardasil vaccine is contaminated and causing "devastating" side effects in adolescent girls who get the shots. Is this true or political propaganda?
-- Barry, via e-mail
A. Who would have thought an anti-cancer vaccine would be a presidential hot potato? The truth is, Gardisil was controversial before it heated up campaign debates. The shot, which works best if given at a young age (before there's any chance of sexual activity) is aimed at girls age 9 and older.
Sex plus kids spells trouble. Yet trouble is precisely what the vaccine stops. It protects against human papilloma virus (HPV), the cause of most cervical cancer. Yes, HPV is sexually transmitted, but no one really needs intercourse to get it. That's because HPV is passed from skin to skin, not through fluids. It's everywhere. Odds are that three-quarters of people have been infected with HPV. Yep, including you.
Out of at least 35 million doses of Gardasil, only .05% have produced what docs call "adverse events." By far, the biggest complaint is that the shots hurt more than most vaccinations, so the main side effects have been pain, fainting, and sore arms. Now, kids are kept seated for 15 minutes to be sure they don't keel over.
The National Cancer Institute calculates that if all females get the shot, and protection lasts long-term, vaccinations could cut cervical cancer deaths by two-thirds. We call that anything but devastating.
