Renewed Debate over the HPV vaccine
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-09-15/renewed-debate-over-hpv-vaccine
During Tuesday’s CNN tea party presidential nominee debate two of the candidates sparred over perhaps an unlikely issue: the HPV vaccine. Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann criticized Republican Governor Rick Perry for signing an executive order in 2007 requiring middle school age girls in the state of Texas to have the vaccine – an order that was subsequently blocked by the Texas state legislature. Her comments renewed debate over the risks and benefits of the HPV vaccine …and what role, if any, the government should have with regard to who gets vaccinated. Diane and her guests discuss benefits and risks of the HPV vaccine.
Guests
Dr. Roberta DeBiasi
pediatric infectious diseases physician at Children’s National Medical Center
Peter Sprigg
vice president for policy at the Family Research Council
Liz Szabo
reporter, USA Today
Dr. Renata Sanders
adolescent Health
general pediatrics and adolescent medicine,
Johns Hopkins Children's Center
Program Highlights
The vaccination that adolescents, mostly girls, get to protect against the sexually transmitted HPV virus is, again, in the news. In a Republican debate, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann alleged the vaccine could have very dangerous side effects. She faulted Gov. Rick Perry for once pushing that all sixth grade girls be vaccinated.
The Political Firestorm
Republican GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry came under fire from his fellow candidates during a recent debate because he had put forward an executive order attempting to mandate the HPV vaccine for school entry. When the Texas legislature opposed the measure, he didn't pursue it. But the broaching of the subject at the debate was what prompted Bachmann's comments about the alleged link between the vaccine and mental retardation.
Lack of Supporting Evidence for Side Effects
Diane asked the guests if there were any reports that demonstrated links between the HPV vaccine and developmental disorders like autism. The guests agreed that there is no existing research demonstrating any such links or causation. "In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics came out with a statement discussing how the HPV vaccine has not been associated with mental retardation," Dr. Sanders said.
How HPV Works
According to Dr. Sanders, many people don't know that they have HPV, and it is often asymptomatic. About 90 percent of HPV infections clear naturally with no treatment in about 2 years. Dr. Debiasi noted that the virus is so common that about 50 percent of all sexually active people have some form of it. And Dr. Sanders pointed out that although the vast majority of cases resolve with no complications, there are some strains that are more likely to result in cancers, including some oral cancers.
Solutions Based in Behavior-Change
Sprigg makes a distinction between HPV and other viruses children are routinely vaccinated against, like measles and mumps. Sprigg says that since youth can protect themselves from HPV by abstaining from sexual contact, it is in a different category from the other diseases. Sprigg also believes that if a state does pass a law mandating vaccines, there should be an opt-in rather than opt-out system.
What is the Ideal Age-Range?
Dr. Sanders said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends catch-up immunization or vaccination against the HPV infection in 13- to 26-year-olds. She also pointed out that there are studies looking at whether or not it can be used in even older woman because there's a big need for evidence to show whether or not it's as effective in the older population as it is in the younger population. Dr. Dibiasi noted that some people aren't aware that the vaccine is safe for boys, too.
Comments
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A vaccine against a cancer! I really don't understand how anyone could oppose that. The arguments against it that focus on the sexually transmitted nature of this virus ignore the fact that not all such infections are contracted through consensual sex, or that many a faithful wife has been infected by her spouse.
84 Deaths = 84 Reasons
Gardasil (HPV Vaccine) Related Death Rate Rising Among Women
Gardasil vaccine has been distributed around the world as a method of prevention for cervical cancer caused by the human papilloma virus. The vaccine, which is made by Merck is marketed to young girls and teens as a way of preventing four strains of HPV that are known to raise risks for cervical cancer. As of May 31, 2010 around 29.5 million doses of the vaccine were spread across the United States alone. There have been 53 deaths reported to the VAERS after Gardasil injections, and if physicians and health officials can work to establish more accurate reporting, we may soon see those numbers go much higher.
From as far away as India and New Zealand reports of life-altering illness and even death are being heard–and could be linked to Gardasil. Many of these reactions have occurred just days or weeks after the shot in previously healthy young girls. Concerned parents no longer have thriving teenage girls, but instead are playing nurse maid to the chronically ill, or grieving a loss that could be linked to Gardasil...
The Centers for Disease Control in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration are working closely with others in the medical field to try to determine a link between Gardasil and diseases like Guillian Barre syndrome, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. The CDC states that as of May of this year there were over 16,000 reports to the vaccine adverse reaction database (known as VAERS) related to reactions after Garadsil injections. Some reactions the CDC calls “non-serious” and includes fainting, nausea, pain and swelling of the injection site.Others are considered “serious. “ To be classified as serious, the reaction should “involve hospitalization, permanent disability, life-threatening illness, and death.” The CDC reports that only 8% of the 16,000 were considered serious. That percentage may seem small, but for the families who have fallen victim to the side effects of Gardasil, it is anything but...
Unfortunately the CDC and FDA will have an even harder time determining just how many adverse reactions have occurred from Gardasil simply because of spotty reporting from physicians. When doctors report to the VAERS, they are often failing to give identifying information like name or address of the patient which makes it impossible for the CDC to follow up on leads. If the true number of reactions was known, and physicians were reporting reactions properly we may have seen an even more dramatic set of numbers related to Gardasil and its link to disease and death rates...
Government health officials say that although they have been able to verify that Gardasil was given prior to the deaths of 29 out of the 53 cases reported so far, that there still is no definitive link that proves Gardasil was the cause.
So how much higher are the numbers of young women and girls who took their vaccine and then fell ill, only to have it called a “coincidence” that was never reported? We may never know the real numbers but if physicians could be properly trained on how and what to report we could soon see that Gardasil is much more damaging than originally thought.
There are now 20,101 reports of adverse reactions and 84 deaths attributed to the HPV vaccines. In September a healthy 40-day old breastfed infant died the day after its mother received her first Gardasil injection. These are serious incidents.
Sane Vax Inc. has written a letter to Dr. Margaret Hamburg, FDA Commissioner requesting the vaccine be taken off the market.
Source: http://docakilah.wordpress.com/2011/07/29/gardasil-hpv-vaccine-related-d...
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101025005268/en/S.A.N.E.-Vax-Ask...
And of course at http://truthaboutgardasil.org
christopher,
I hear where you are coming from, BUT:
84 deaths from CC (total) vs. 4000 deaths from CC per year (253,000 per year worldwide)?
http://www.nccc-online.org/
They too caution with respect to Gardasil, but clearly, this needs to be an individual choice and research needs to continue.
I don't have immediate access to the numbers, but aren't the risks comparable with other vaccines we routinely require?
My concern is with the attitude that it should ONLY be administered to girls. Boys are the carriers of HPV (and if I am remembering correctly, a small percentage of boys are adversely affected), so why not vaccinate All?
Funny how Republican logic works. They're all for freedom from govt making decisions for citizens unless it can insure that big biz make big profits on those decisions. And what about that Perry being for life. Guess that only counts if you're not wrongly convicted and on texas death row.
Love the show.
Love the topic.
But please don't call it the HPV virus.
HPV is the human papillomavirus.
And as a Texas resident, I found it ironic how Rick Perry would hem and haw about government being too big, restrictive and dictating what people do.
Then he signs the HPV vaccine decree. Ironic.
From your friends at the Department of Redundancy Department, located far away from the Rio Grande River
I lived in Texas when this event occurred. No one thinks a vaccine against cancer is bad but the vaccine was new and not widely tested. Texas girls would have made up a huge cohort for testing the drug, turning them into guinea pigs. Sex education in Texas is absymal and would never have prepared girls to protect themselves by other means. I am a cervical cancer survivor and privately educated my daughter regarding safe sex and disease prevention. At the time, Perry's demand was viewed largely as money-grubbing.
According to the CDC, within two years of "sexual debut" 40% of girls will have been exposed to HPV. It is clear that sexual activity is taking place among teens and therefore the vaccine must be provided PRIOR to debut, not after. This is a cancer preventing vaccine and it is our jobs to protect upcoming generations from the horrible outcomes of cervical cancer.
If this virus is solely transmitted sexually, then it seems hypocritical for those who advocate so strongly for women's right to choose with regards to sexual and reproductive health even consider making this a mandated vaccination? It would seem a better route to go to educate young women, like is done with regards to other stds and the use of prophylactics, as to the risks of engaging in sex, then allowing them to choose whether to get a vaccination, or to choose to abstain from activities that put them at risk. This is akin to the idea of blanketing the same population with mandatory oral contraceptives in order to reduce the rate of pregnancy among unmarried girls, and requiring those who object to "opt out". Why do the typical voices for "choice" seem to disappear with regards to this issue?
Jennifer in Houston
Noone has mentioned that gardisil will not be paid for by insurance, if it is not mandated. The cost is $300. Not many parents can afford this
I took my daughter in for her second shot last month. We met only with the nurse, who asked when I was going to bring in my teen boys for the shot. "Afterall," she said, "Boys are the cause of this."
I thought the vaccine was for girls only. Could you clarify?
Diane,
Have you noticed that the politicians (like Rick Perry) pushing for a mandatory vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease are the same ones who push for "abstinence education" instead of honest sex education? Isn't a mandatory vaccine for a STD a clear admission that abstinence education doesn't work??
You can still get cervical cancer even after this vaccine.... The sad part is, now young women may think they're "protected" and fail to get regular Pap smears.
Years ago a study showed that women with circumcised partners had a lower incidence of cervical cancer. Shall we make male circumcision mandatory also? And why isn't the vaccine mandatory for male children, who would be the spreaders of the disease?
"Funny how Republican logic works. "
Sorry, ozkar, I'm a Republican and I think what Perry did was a travesty against freedom. Most Republicans, and particularly conservatives, do. Remember, Perry used to be a Democrat. I think he was having a flashback.
But thanks for showing the depth of the thinking behind such a ridiculous generalization!
My aunt is dying of cervical cancer right now.
Had she been vaccinated as a child, her family (including her 13 year old boy) would not be going through this trauma.
The sanctimonious views of the so-called 'Family Research Council', if they prevail, will consign countless real American families to senseless hardship.
If vaccinating boys can help prevent girls from contracting oncogenic viruses, then I think we should consider recommending that they, too, be vaccinated.
Protecting and preserving human health: that's what I call 'family values.'
No other vaccines, including those that protect from 'casually transmitted' diseases are mandated. We lost a family member to cervial cancer; the visceral response is understandable, but we cannot require just this one by law.
Furthermore, anyone who considers themselves to be on the side of women's rights should vehemently oppose government attempts to pass a law regarding anything linked to female sexuality. Rick Perry doesn't fool me with his 'I just want to prevent cancer' line. He wants a legal road into women's bodies. No, thank you.
On of the issues never mentioned is the economic one. If a vaccne is mandated for school entry, it is covered under the VFC (Vaccines for Children) program and is free. Otherwise, it can cost u to $400 for the full series. This is a major cost if someone does not have insurance coverage.
An Open Letter to Michelle Bachmann....
Dear Mrs. Naîve of Minnesota:
Why is it that you must interject yourself into things of which you know nothing? Gardisil is the best advance that we have in preventing Cervical Cancer. Do you know anything about cervical cancer? May be you would if you had lost the love of your life to this horrible disease.
Young girls that are 11 years old are not sexually active. This is why they are the best candidates for this vaccine. Immunologically, vaccinating girls at this age provide the optimum conditions to PROTECT them for dying a miserable and horribly painful death like my fiancee suffered from this disease.
No, Immunizing your child with Gardasil does not make her become sexually active or promote promiscuity any more than a Polio vaccine would make you want to book a flight to Nigeria so that you could be exposed to Polio (due to an equally idiotic rationalization by Nigerian Muslims that it will sterilize its female population). A woman cannot guarantee that her partner has not been exposed to HPV (Human papillomavirus) even if she is chaste. Therefore, she should be vaccinated. Additionally, due to the vaccine's success, men will soon need to be vaccinated. And as far as Guillain-Barré syndrome is concerned, there have only been 53 cases worldwide out of 23 million vaccinated individuals. Science cannot attribute that Gardisil had anything to do with these occurrences.
Public Health is one area where we need a centralized government response. It might be a good idea for you to take two hours and go see "Contagion." It just might act as a learning vehicle simplified enough for your small-minded brain to comprehend.
On the other hand, go back to Minnesota and stick to accounting. That seems to be a discipline which is limited to two dimensional thinking!
Does the vacine prevent abstinence? Not sure why there is any objection by abstinence proponents for a vacine which benefits public health.
I would like to hear if there is any discussion on vaccinating young boys as well. Vaccinating them as well helps keep the strains of HPV the cause Cervical Cancer from being prevalent. There is growing evidence that HPV 16 is not only a cause for Cervical Cancer, but also Throat Cancer. My interest is on the latter. There was Cancer found on the base of my tongue. One of the Doctors informed me of the growing evidence that HPV 16 is being related to throat cancers in non-smokers.
I just heard some discussion on this very thing. Thank you for that and maybe some further discussion would be warranted.
Thanks you,
Mark Jackson
Oviedo FL
3 years Cancer free
Good Morning Diane,
Excellent medical topic as well as a philosophiocal and political one.
My question is this; for those individuals that opt out of receiving the vacine, in the event they contract cervical cancer later, should the American public (via "socialized medicine") or insurance companies liable for those expenses incurred by the infected individual ? This is a very complicated issue.
Best wishes,
Ken
For a physician or vaccine manufacturer to make a claim, positive or negative, about a vaccine, documented evidence supporting the claim is required. It is unfortunate that politicians. like Michelle Bachman in her claim that HPV vaccine caused mental retardation in a "little girl," are not held to the same standards of veracity. As a pediatric infectious diseases specialist who spent thirty years in clinical research to provide support for safe and effective use of drugs and vaccines in children, I resent politicians, attorneys, etc. who have disseminated unsupported information against the use of vaccines that has now begun to cause epidemics of childhood diseases that had been pretty much wiped out in the US, e.g. whooping cough.
Thank you for including the Family Research Council on today's program. It is important for the public to have their views contested by experts. The "research" in their name is generated more by ideology than in science. Case in point; abstinence as a prevention has been proven to work but is rarely practiced. Are they really willing to risk children's health by presuming that children will obey their parent's wishes? This is outrageous.
Bachman did not say that there was a link between HPV vaccine and autism---she claimed the adverse event was mental retardation. Your panel should have corrected you.
The trouble with HPV is that it is so very common - 50% of the population have acquired the virus and women/girls will likely be exposed within 2 years of sexual debut. Yes some will resolve the virus without treatment however some may eventually be diagnosed with cervical cancer. We have spoken to many women who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer and it is absolutely heartbreaking. Sadly young girls are not always able to make decisions of such importance and therefore we must do our very best to fully educate them prior to sexual debut. They do have a choice but our medical system is failing to implement the vaccine - we have only vaccinated less than half of the young girls.
Bachman did not say that there was a link between HPV vaccine and autism--- the adverse event that she implied was 'caused' by the vaccine was mental retardation. Your panel should have corrected you.
Only children <18 years can get free vaccinations. Adults older than 18 years have to pay out of pocket and the cost is $700 total.
I find it interesting that the rumored reports of the most serious side effects are never reported to the proper investigators but remain urban legends.
Its nice to know that the 'grassy knoll' crowd are well and still trying to direct others lives.