Yet more *facts* about HPV and Gardasil

from JoeUser Forums

So that Texas legislature was really smart, weren't they.  At least according to one blogger here.

But then again, there's facts that can get in the way and remind us yet again that the Texas legislature may have gotten a victory that wasn't a victory at all (a Pyrrhic victory).

Here's some facts in another news source (Forbes.com) ( { sarcasm mode on } which I'm sure was bribed to publish favorable news to Merck, right? { sarcasm mode off } )

Studies Support Cervical Cancer Vaccine's Effectiveness in Young Girls

A few clips from that article will be in the comments area below.

3,004 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
Here's the meat of that article:
WEDNESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Expanded findings from trials that led to U.S. approval of the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil find it extremely effective in preventing precancerous lesions of the cervix.

The vaccine prevents infection with four strains of the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer.

In two studies involving nearly 18,000 girls and women, Gardasil proved almost 100 percent effective in preventing precancerous cervical lesions linked to those strains.

The new studies also found that Gardasil is much more effective when given to girls or women before they become sexually active -- bolstering current recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that 11- and 12-year-old girls should routinely receive the vaccine as part of school vaccination efforts.

Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
A few more clips that are important to have read:
"All vaccines are going to work best before you have the disease," explained Dr. Kevin Ault, a co-researcher on one of the trials and an associate professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University in Atlanta.

"There's lots of good, practical reasons to give the vaccine to 11-year-olds," he said, including the fact that they have strong immune systems and are already getting shots against other infectious diseases. "But that's one of the best reasons: that they are unlikely to have gotten the virus at that point," Ault added.

along with:

Although genital HPV comes in at least 15 strains, Gardasil aims to prevent infection with four strains -- 6, 11, 16 and 18 -- which together are thought to cause 70 percent of cervical malignancies.

The three-year trial found that three standard doses of vaccine were 98 percent effective in preventing high-grade "dysplasia" -- abnormal, precancerous cell growth -- of the cervix in women with no prior exposure to strains 16 and 18.

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm not a parent. So I'm thinking into the future here. If I ever have a daughter, there will be lots more research on this vaccination, so that will be good. I'd have reason to trust it a little more.

But as of right now, if I have a daughter, she will not be receiving this vaccination. Well...I guess I can't say that...because I guess you never know what kind of people are out there...I wouldn't want her to contract this as a result of a rape or something...at least THAT would be preventable.

It's like...a vaccination for AIDS, or chlamydia, or syphillis. There's no risk involved, so...what's the big deal? It's a license to be promiscuous. There's no consequences anymore for actions--and god only knows that it's WAY fun to have a baby when you're 15 (I hear there's like 20 girls pregnant in our litlte town's high school). But even that doesn't deter people.

Maybe we need a stupidity vaccination more than an HPV vaccination.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
MAYBE this vaccination will lprevent cancer. MAYBE there are side effects. I'd rather not have it forced on my child until longer term studies are done. And AMrcie has a point......keep your mouth shut and knees together!