Spring Break
Gardasil vaccine - good or dangerous?
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: Sports & Health
"We chose to help protect ourselves against cervical cancer and other HPV diseases. Now the choice is yours."
Recognize that line? It comes from an ad for Gardasil, the vaccine reported to offer protection against cervical cancer and Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, for women ages 11 through 26 years old. Through a massive campaign, by way of empowering commercials using the tagline above, as well as tutorials in schools, seminars for doctors and nurses, and extensive media coverage, the vaccine has been hailed the next miracle drug. Recently, however, the vaccine created by the company Merck has come under fire from many critics for various reasons ranging from simple skepticism to alarming reports claiming the shot does more harm than good.
The product was licensed for use in the US in June 2006 and is known to offer partial protection against genital warts as well as the common sexually transmitted HPV virus which can, in most cases, cause cervical cancer among women after many years. Since September, the FDA has also said that Gardasil prevents cancers in the vagina and the vulva. There are more than 40 types of HPV, four of which the Gardasil website claims to protect against, two of which cause 70 percent of cervical cancer. The deadly cancer can generally go undetected for years, and spreads to the liver, bladder, intestines, and lungs, and is estimated by the American Cancer Society to affect 11,070 women in 2008. With statistics such as these, the vaccine surfaced in society as a godsend.
According to NBC, starting next year the vaccine will be required for all girls entering the sixth grade, since it is said to work best before sexual activity. The US government will be spending $1 billion for the vaccines which comes in a 3-dose series over six months. The vaccination, which can only partially be covered by insurance, will cost $360, nearly $1,000 for some if you include other costs such as office visits and markups, according to the New York Times. Its high cost presents a problem for low-income women, as well as women with no health insurance.
Recognize that line? It comes from an ad for Gardasil, the vaccine reported to offer protection against cervical cancer and Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, for women ages 11 through 26 years old. Through a massive campaign, by way of empowering commercials using the tagline above, as well as tutorials in schools, seminars for doctors and nurses, and extensive media coverage, the vaccine has been hailed the next miracle drug. Recently, however, the vaccine created by the company Merck has come under fire from many critics for various reasons ranging from simple skepticism to alarming reports claiming the shot does more harm than good.
The product was licensed for use in the US in June 2006 and is known to offer partial protection against genital warts as well as the common sexually transmitted HPV virus which can, in most cases, cause cervical cancer among women after many years. Since September, the FDA has also said that Gardasil prevents cancers in the vagina and the vulva. There are more than 40 types of HPV, four of which the Gardasil website claims to protect against, two of which cause 70 percent of cervical cancer. The deadly cancer can generally go undetected for years, and spreads to the liver, bladder, intestines, and lungs, and is estimated by the American Cancer Society to affect 11,070 women in 2008. With statistics such as these, the vaccine surfaced in society as a godsend.
According to NBC, starting next year the vaccine will be required for all girls entering the sixth grade, since it is said to work best before sexual activity. The US government will be spending $1 billion for the vaccines which comes in a 3-dose series over six months. The vaccination, which can only partially be covered by insurance, will cost $360, nearly $1,000 for some if you include other costs such as office visits and markups, according to the New York Times. Its high cost presents a problem for low-income women, as well as women with no health insurance.
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