Is There Really a Vaccine for Cervical Cancer?

A new vaccine that is being touted as prevention for cervical cancer is making headlines right now. A wave of commercials, print ads, and articles are spreading across the nation praising the benefits of this medical miracle Gardasil®. In Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry issued an order Friday making Texas the first state to require that schoolgirls ages 11 and 12 get this vaccine. Every one is excited for what this new step could mean for the health of women, but some are asking if this really is the cancer vaccine that it is being made out to be.

Human papilloma virus, or HPV, is a common virus that is spread through sexual contact, so common in fact that more than 50 percent of sexually active adults will have had this virus at least once in their lives. HPV causes an infection in the cervix, an infection that generally does not last long because of the body's ability to fight off the infection. Most people will never know they have HPV and most infections go away without treatment. If the infection does not clear it can lead to pre-cancerous cells. But it is important to note that pre-cancer is not cancer. In fact very few HPV infections actually lead to cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society states on their website that most cells with early pre-cancer changes return to normal on their own. They further point out on their site that only women who have HIV or AIDS, smoke, or have a specific variety of HPV have a greater risk of cervical cancer. There are more than 100 types of HPV, according to the American Cancer Society, more than 30 of these strains can infect the genitals and cause wart-like growths on or around the genitals and anus of both men and women but are not linked with cancer. Out of the over 100 strains only 13 HPV types are associated with a high risk of cervical cancer.

Gardasil, though advertised as a prevention for cervical cancer, actually only protects against four HPV types and is s most effective in women who have not yet acquired any of the four HPV types covered. In addition, according to the Center for Disease Control about 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine. This relatively new vaccine is actually still being studied. Currently there is little to no information on how this vaccine could affect men, women over the age of 26, pregnant women, the length of vaccine protection, or how much protection is offered by only getting one or two of the three dose vaccine. The women who were originally studied for Gardasil were only followed for five years, making it near impossible to know what long term side effects it may have.

Though Gardasil is posed as a break though vaccine health officials warn that this vaccine should not substitute for routine cervical cancer screening known as Pap tests. A Pap test will usually tell you if you have any cervix cell changes that could be caused by HPV and give you and your doctor an early indicator. The American Cancer Society states that cervical cancer is rare today in women who get their Pap tests, HPV that does not go away over many years can lead to cervix cancer but periodic screening through the Pap test can diagnose HPV while still in early stages. There is also a HPV DNA test available for women over the age of 30 that can detect HPV on a woman's cervix though it cannot tell what strain of HPV is present. Most women diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S. have either never had a Pap test, or have not had a Pap test in the last 5 years according to the Center for Disease Control. The CDC states that the only sure way to prevent HPV is to abstain from all sexual activity, as there is still a risk of contracting HPV with condom use. Because most people infected show no symptoms and do not know that they are infected it is possible to pass along HPV to sexual partners without knowing.

Serious adverse effects of Gardasil are being reported to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS is a cooperative program for vaccine safety of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. VAERS is a post-marketing safety surveillance program, collecting information about adverse events (possible side effects) that occur after the administration of US licensed vaccines. Their report shows several claims of loss of consciousness, seizures, joint pain and Guillain-Barre Syndrome believed to be caused by the HPV vaccine. Between July 2006 and January 2007 VAERS has had 82 reports of adverse effects following the administration of Gardasil, these reports have come from 21 states and including the District of Columbia. All but three of the reports were for reactions within one week of vaccination, and more than 60 percent occurred within 24 hours of vaccination. Vicky Debold, RN, Ph.D. and Health Policy Analyst for the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) stated "These young girls are experiencing severe headaches, dizziness, temporary loss of vision, slurred speech, fainting, involuntary contraction of limbs (seizures), muscle weakness, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet and joint pain. Some of the girls have lost consciousness during what appears to be seizures." The VAERS reports also indicate that doctors are giving Gardasil shots along with other vaccines, though the Merck product insert states that Gardasil has not been tested along with any other vaccine except for the hepatitis B vaccine.

Gardasil is being examined with suspicion by many over the larger-than-life claims on the effectiveness of this vaccine on cervical cancer and the limited research done on this relatively new vaccine. Financial ties to lobbyists and legislators are also casting suspicion upon the new vaccine, such as with Republican Gov. Rick Perry whose current chief of staff has family in the advocacy group where Merck funnels money through for lobbying. Many are also raising eyebrows at the high cost of Gardasil, at $360 for the full series this is one of the most costly vaccines available today making many wonder if there are financial reasons rather than health reasons for the vaccine's push.