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Gardasil, the vaccine given to girls and young women to prevent common causes of cervical cancer, has resulted in 47 deaths since it was approved in 2006, according to a public interest advocacy group.

Judicial Watch said in 2008 alone, 28 girls and women died after being given Gardasil, an increase from the 19 deaths reported in 2007. Of the 47 reported deaths since 1996, 41 occurred within a month of receiving the vaccine and 17 were reported within two weeks of receiving the vaccine, Judicial Watch said.

In addition to the scores of user deaths, Gardasil was associated with 6,723 adverse events in 2008, including more than 1,000 events considered serious and 142 that resulted in life-threatening complications, according to Judicial Watch.

“The FDA is supposed to be a guardian of public health, and yet the agency continues to turn a blind eye to what seems to be an extremely serious public health problem,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The public relations push for Gardasil by Merck, politicians and public health officials needs to pause so that these adverse reactions can be further studied. The already serious problems associated with Gardasil seem to be getting worse. No one should require this vaccine for young children.”

FDA Reports Examined

Gardasil is a series of three shots given to protect against spread of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is known to cause cervical cancer. The vaccine is made by Merck & Co. and has been administered about 40 million times worldwide.

Judicial Watch said it examined data from the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and discovered reports of women developing cervical cancer soon after receiving Gardasil. Some women reported intense migraines, swelling of the face, jaw, and wrists, and an inability to walk after getting the shots.

More than two dozen patients developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disorder of the nervous system, and other severe complications as a result of Gardasil treatments, the group said. There also were 147 cases of miscarriages in women who received the vaccine while pregnant, Judicial Watch said.

Since June 2008, there reportedly were 235 cases of women who received Gardasil developing permanent disability. The FDA also received 62 reports of girls and women developing warts after getting the vaccine.

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4. Gardasil for Boys Not Worth the Costs, Researchers Say Giving boys shots of the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil to...
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