Women's Health

Search AOL Health

Could HPV Vaccine Lead to Paralysis?

CBS

Posted: 2008-07-09 12:17:54

(July 7) - Jenny was a healthy 13-year-old living in Northern California -- until 15 months ago when, her parents say, she received the third and final shot of the vaccine designed to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV).

HPV causes a large percentage of cases of cervical cancer.

Soon after getting that third injection, her parents say, Jenny began experiencing the first signs of a degenerative muscle disease. They say their daughter is now almost completely paralyzed.

Did Gardasil cause Jenny's condition?

Her family told CBS News it believes "there may be a link. But, there is no medical consensus on whether this hypothesis is stronger than other possible explanations."

Merck, Gardasil's maker, disputes that, saying in a statement, "Based on the facts that we've received, the information does not suggest that this event was causally associated with vaccination."

Jenny's father hopes a blog he started will prompt other teens with similar post-vaccination problems to come forward.

U.S. News & World report says there have been other possible adverse effects associated with Gardisil, though none has been confirmed.

The New York Post also says Gardasil may be causing some medical problems.

Feed

More Stories

Cervical cancer is the second most deadly women's cancer.

Since the Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil in 2006, some 8 million girls have received at least one of the three shots, with 13 million injections administered in all, the FDA says.

On The Early Show Monday, Dr. Holly Phillips of CBS station WCBS-TV in New York told substitute anchor Tracy Smith, "At this point we shouldn't be more worried than we've ever been. I think the biggest concern is -- parents want to know that, when they give the shots to their children, they're protecting them, not putting them in harm's way.

"Even though a case like Jenny's is incredibly tragic, we also have to be fair and make it very clear that it has not been linked with Gardasil. We understand the family's hypothesis, but still, the FDA, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have not linked her case with Gardasil."

Putting things in perspective, Phillips said, "It has been tested on thousands and thousands of women before it ever hit the market. And, already, 8 million women have gotten the shot. So, it's really a relatively small number of complaints we're looking at, but they should be taken seriously. Yet, it's not time for parents to pull the plug and say, 'This is too risky for my child.' "

Phillips said other reports of possible problems stemming from Gardisil have been received on the CDC and FDA's VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System), on which anyone (substantiated or not) can report side affects they feel they are having to a drug or shot.

"Anyone with any concerns whatsoever after they've had the vaccine," can report those concerns via VAERS, Phillips sais, "and they could have had the vaccine a year ago or a week ago. It really doesn't matter. Anyone with any concerns can report them to this system. ... That doesn't mean they're necessarily linked with the vaccine. It just means you have a concern and you would like it looked at thoroughly."

The feds, says Phillips, take VAERS "very seriously. Every week, they actually sit down and look at these complaints. And what they're looking is not just an individual case, but they're really looking for multiple links where several women had the same effect."

MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2008-07-08 11:23:22

Must Read?

92 %

8 %

182 VOTES

Bookmark

Read and Post Comments | More on Health

Recent Comments

Post Your Own

1 - 10 of 87

87 comments

Aniala83 11:57:36 AM Jul 11 2008

Report This!

I read all about the HPV shot from articles my doctor gave me and also pammphlets. The truth is, it doesnt protect against ALL HPV out there, only certain ones. They even tell you that on the commercial. It only protects you against the most common strands of HPV, so you can still get the other million or so strands out there that are less common. And on another note.... its no secret that the FDA and pharmacutical companies only care about money, money, money. They wont release the facts about natural remedies that CURE certain cancers and other tragic conditions. Why? Because you cant patent a natural remedy and make money off of it. Did you know that the government actually passed a law that states that ANY doctor prescribing a natural remedy to a patient will loose their license and also punished? Dont trust anything that the FDA and pharmacutical people tell you. They get you hooked on drugs so you'll come back and spend more money. I also have a friend who works in a pediatric of

mystichisteria 11:10:51 AM Jul 10 2008

Report This!

kellybelly8xo....don't let some paranoid people freak you out. There's no need for you to freak out. You are fine. Nothing's going to happen to you.

kellybelly8xo 01:52:48 AM Jul 10 2008

Report This!

Im thirteen years old too and I got all three shots, in fact my third one was injected like a wekk ago, and now im like freaking out. Whats going to happen to me?! It was weird cuz when I got it I cried in pain, but when my sister got it after me she was liek wow your pathetic... So im confused, if you have more pain does it mean that this turn out can happen to you?

Lila0228 02:10:12 PM Jul 09 2008

Report This!

strngrthnudrmtitdo you have any more info on this or where to find, i am interested in that vitamin thing/ pregnant women

JESWIL 02:09:16 PM Jul 09 2008

Report This!

This vaccine is effective whether you are sexually active or not.I've had it. It didn't hurt, I didn't past out, nothing went wrong.It's a personal choice that I think should be left up to the young women themselves, not their parents.But I have to admitt, I feel safer knowing I've had the vaccine to protect against certain cancers.

Lila0228 02:08:56 PM Jul 09 2008

Report This!

HBFFProgramming,"The vaccine is not effective once a young women becomes sexually active." UMMM .. .how does it know?? it knows you had sex with a guy last night??? that makes no sense..

Lila0228 02:01:14 PM Jul 09 2008

Report This!

"There could have been a link??" OBVIOUSLY there was a link!!!!! Too bad this girl's parents didn't tell their daughter not to sleep around town and you won't get HPV.. i dont understand the point of this vaccine.. so you can sleep around but not get HPV, well that's great, but what about AIDS, sypillis, gonnhorrea, herpes, and all the other things out there???? My heart really goes out to this child and her family, this should not have happened but the drug companies do not have your best interest in mind when they put this stuff out on the market, money and money only is their priority.

Mgw322 01:53:45 PM Jul 09 2008

Report This!

My 14 year old daughter has had 2 of the 3 shots. The first shot was so painful, she started throwing up and almost passed out. The second shot gave her flu like symptons. As her mother, it is a hard decision, as I myself had cervical cancer that wasn't caught until biopsies were done after a hysterectomy. Therefore, I feel that the side effects are little in comparison to possibly heredity chances. I will tell you though, after the first shot, there was a story on our local news about how the shots are extremely painfull and cause a lot of girls to pass out, etc. from the pain.

ASerenityStorm 01:41:58 PM Jul 09 2008

Report This!

I wonder how many girls will come forward with stories of side effects. My heart goes out to these poor young girls. I don't have any children, but I just can't see myself letting my daughter get this shot.

Golfinkatiekat77 01:37:23 PM Jul 09 2008

Report This!

My heart aches for this girl and her parents. Medical science is not an "exact" science. Hence the doctors have a "practice". We go to the doctors with all our hopes and fears and want this person to wave a magic wand and have our health issues "disappear". A lot of the times, this can happen, but not always.We have too long put our doctors up on a pedestal and expected them to perform "miracles", and when they don't, we sue them. Hmmmm, when was the last time that a weather forecaster was sued for a wrong forecast? The forecast called for sunny weather for your wedding but it poured buckets? MEDICINE IS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE!!! I'm happy they have this vaccine out and I believe it will prevent many needless suffering and deaths from cervical cancer. I wish it had been available to me before I contracted this god awful disease. I will just believe in my doctors and hope they can shield me from most of the suffering this disease causes. We are just supporting the symptoms now

1 - 10 of 87

87 comments