Gardasil Linked to Increased Risk of Rare Nervous System Disorder, Research Finds
Gardasil, the vaccine given to girls and women to prevent cervical cancer, may cause an increased risk of a rare but severe nervous system disorder within weeks of getting the shot, new research finds.
In the two to six weeks after receiving an injection of Gardasil, females are more likely to contract Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a potentially deadly condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system, said researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.
Generally, an infection such as influenza or another illness triggers GBS, but in some cases, the disorder may be activated by vaccinations, such as Gardasil, or by surgery, officials said. Symptoms of GBS can include weakness, paralysis, balance problems, and numbness and tingling of the limbs.
However, the risk of developing GBS from Gardasil is rare. Only 26 women out of 10 million who receive the shot will develop GBS in the first two weeks after treatment, while just 30 out of 10 million will do so after six weeks, researchers said. By comparison, about five in 10 million people in the general population will develop GBS.
So, while the research found that women who receive Gardasil are up to six times more likely to contract GBS than people in the general population within six weeks of the treatment, the overall risk remains very low. It also remains unclear exactly why Gardasil vaccine appears to increase the odds of developing GBS, researchers said.
The research findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.
Controversy Over Gardasil
Gardasil has been the subject of controversy since 2006, when it was approved for use in the United States. In January 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added Gardasil to its list of recommended childhood immunizations. The vaccine was recommended for all girls aged 11-12 and even for girls as young as 9, with catch-up doses for girls and women 13-26 who hadn’t been vaccinated earlier. Some critics have said that giving the vaccine to girls as young as nine suggests that the girls are sexually active and is not appropriate.
Gardasil is the only vaccine currently approved to prevent four strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a cause of cervical cancer and genital warts. As of 2008, more than 23 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed, officials said.
Gardasil also has been linked to severe allergic reactions in some women. In February 2009, about 76,000 doses of the drug were recalled in Spain after two girls had to be hospitalized after suffering adverse reactions to the vaccine. In 2008, a study confirmed at least three severe allergic reactions in girls and young women who received the shots in Australia.
Related posts:
- Merck to Seek Use of Gardasil in Older Women Merck & Co. plans to ask the Food and Drug...
- Gardasil Not for Routine Use in Boys and Men, U.S. Advisory Panel Says The controversial vaccine Gardasil should not routinely be given to...
- FDA OKs Gardasil for Boys, Competitor Cervarix for Girls The Food and Drug Administration today took long-awaited action on...
- Gardasil for Boys Not Worth the Costs, Researchers Say Giving boys shots of the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil to...
- FDA Panel Recommends Expanding HPV Vaccine Gardasil Use to Men and Boys The Merck & Co. vaccine Gardasil should be approved for...
