Gardasil Not the Dream Vaccination Women Expected

For many women in Gardasil vaccination was the answer to their prayers. Women and young girls whose family had a history of Cervical Cancer could now help to prevent contraction of the disease by using the vaccination offered by Merck and Company. But, new evidence is diminishing the hopes that the drug will become mandatory.

Gardasil has been front page news all over the world, promising a nearly 100% efficacy rate in the prevention of 2 strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. Women all over the world were led to believe by the support of The Centers for Disease control and the American Cancer Society that the vaccine would indefinitely prevent the contraction of the virus, but new evidence is reporting the contrary.

According to Dr. George Sawaya of the University of California San Francisco the effects of the vaccine are "modest" at best. "The effect is fairly small, "said Sawaya. "The recommendation for widespread vaccination of women after they become sexually active may need to be rethought." This belief stems from the evidence that the vaccination only reducing the incidence of cancer precursors by a mere 17%.

W. Martin Kast, an immunologist for the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine also believes the original outcome from the studies may have been tainted. He says the study did not go on for a long enough time to reveal the vaccines true worth or potential.

With at least 24 state legislatures introducing bills to mandate the vaccination, this new "insufficient evidence" of efficacy may lead to bill reform and blockage. The bills are also being affected by the high cost of the vaccination. Costing around $360 for three shots plus the cost of the doctor's visits, the vaccination is one of the most pricy available to young women today.

Women rightfully want the vaccination to have real and lasting effects. More than 3,900 women die each year in the United States from cervical cancer where Pap screening is relatively inexpensive. But, in the rest of the world where Pap screening is far too expensive to be widespread, more than 250,000 women are killed each year.

Researchers all over the world are dedicated to preventing cervical cancer and its precursors. Thanks to the Gardasil vaccine, new hope filled women all of the world of preventing this deadly disease they had no control over contracting. This new evidence will lead to further research and evaluation of the vaccinations efficacy and break the hearts of many who have already started the vaccination series.

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44823

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-05-09-cervical-cancer-study_N.htm