Health

BOSTON (WBZ) ― GARDASIL was hailed as a medical breakthrough just two years ago. It is a vaccine given to girls as young as 11 to prevent cervical cancer. But now, cases of fainting, paralysis and even death are being reported to federal health officials.

Shannon Nelson was a high school athlete and the picture of health until she suddenly ended up in the hospital. She ended up staying there for 23 days. Her family suspects an adverse reaction to the GARDASIL vaccine. Her neurologist says it is a possibility.

Approved in 2006, GARDASIL protects against some strains of the Human Papilloma Virus, or H-P-V, which are linked to cervical cancer and other female reproductive disorders. That's why Shannon was willing to take the vaccine.

"I wanted to be safe for the future," she said.

When Shannon went to get a physical before heading off to college, she received three vaccines that day: one for H-P-V, one for meningitis and one for chicken pox. Within a week, the former soccer player could barely move.

"At first my outer fingers, my pinkies, were going numb," Shannon said, "and my outer toes were going numb. When I went into the hospital, I couldn't walk at all. I had to have a wheelchair."

Across the country, more and more young girls are reporting trouble with GARDASIL. In the last two years, 8 million shots have been given. The Centers for Disease Control have since received 7,800 reports of adverse reactions. Only 7 percent of those are considered serious,and that is less than half of what it is for most vaccines.

Dr. Marcela Del Carmen, a gynecological oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, believes people need to look at the big picture and remember that 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S each year. She added that there are a host of other serious conditions that this vaccine protects against, and that she is comfortable prescribing it.

"When you are dealing with a vaccine where you have seen 8 million women vaccinated," Dr. Del Cazrmen said, "I think that what we need to look at actually is, what are the those specific adverse events, and then how many of those have been truly linked to the vaccine."

When asked about the number of reactions, Dr. Del Carmen added, "The number, per se, is not alarming to the degree that you should think about pulling the vaccine off the market."

Merck, the drug's manufacturer, issued a statement in support of the drug, which says in part, that it has "analyzed the adverse events reported for GARDASIL relating to the recent reports of death and paralysis, and based on the data available to Merck, believes that no safety issue related to the vaccine has been identified."

Although many physicians believe in the benefits of GARDASIL, there are some who question federal guidelines which suggest vaccinating girls as young as 11. Dr. Diane Harper of the Dartmouth Medical School has done research for Merck and other drug companies. She would prefer to see girls vaccinated at 15.

Many people are already nervous about vaccines in general these days, in part due to highly publicized problems with autism. That's why reactions like Shannon's about GARDASIL are becoming more common.

"I tell everybody I meet not to get it," she said. "Everyone, everywhere."

This is a scary situation for parents with young girls. It's really about weighing risks and benefits. As Dr. Del Carmen noted, the vaccine also protects against other diseases besides cervical cancer, and those can necessitate uncomfortable treatments. The first thing to do is talk to your doctor about the best course of treatment for your daughter.

RESOURCES:
 Report a problem with GARDASIL to federal authorities
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