Green Options

Recently, Gardasil researcher Dr. Diane Harper spoke out against the vaccine, warning parents to decide whether the risks are worth it. For many families, the adverse effects of this shot have changed their lives.

This is the start of a series sharing the stories of these brave families.

Here is the story of Brittney Fiste, as told by her mother Roxie.

“Everyone deserves to know the whole truth before blindly rushing out to take an unproven vaccine.”

The FDA is recommending Gardasil for boys, saying in a memo that it seems to be safe and effective in preventing genital warts in young men and boys. And guess what! None of the boys tested got cervical cancer! Kidding.

The vaccine’s maker, Merck, has been pushing for males to be offered the shot too, and gave the FDA evidence that, according to CBS,

Three studies of over 5,000 boys and men, Gardasil was 89% effective in preventing genital warts.

Check out the entire news story:

Here in Virginia, health officials are pushing the vaccine that protects against HPV. As the Washington Post reports, the Commonwealth wants Gardasil administered to every girl entering the 6th grade. Parents here can opt out simply by refusing to give their girls the shot.

But fears of adverse affects still abound. This month, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that in the 2.5 years between June 2006 and December 2008, there were

12,424 reports of side effects, or 54 reports per 100,000 doses given. That included 32 reports of death, or 1 per 1 million girls vaccinated, though it’s unclear whether the vaccine or something else was to blame.

An NPR report also stated that we’re not sure how many of those deaths were due to preexisting conditions in the teen girls, such as blood clots:

All of these people had a known risk factor for having blood clots. Most commonly was that they were on some sort of estrogen birth control. But obesity, traveling, immobility and some of these people had genetic risk factors for getting - for having blood clots, as well.

So…we’re blaming the girls for their deaths? For their previously unknown medical conditions? Not only are we as yet uncertain of Gardasil’s safety, we also have no clue about its efficacy, especially long-term.

Last Wednesday, the National Institutes of Health began recruiting volunteers to test the swine flu vaccine. Manufacturers are rushing to make it to market before the swine flu rebounds in the fall.

The first wave of shots is to be tested on healthy adults, but once safety is assured, they’ll look to try them new vax on babies as young as 6 months.

However, it seems that the government is simultaneously rushing the vaccine while protecting the pharmaceutical companies from lawsuits.

I have a 13-year-old girl in my house.  And she won’t be getting the Gardasil shot.

No, I’m not one of those parents who believes that the HPV shot will encourage sexual behavior.  The boredom and pressures of being a teen will take care of that, thank you very much.