Merck Sponsored Study Returns Dubious Gardasil Autoimmune Safety Results
(NaturalNews) A new Merck funded study has concluded that Merck's
controversial Gardasil HPV vaccine poses no risk for developing
autoimmune conditions. The conclusions come as no surprise to those who
have seen self-serving results from previous Merck funded studies, many
of which were later proven false or misleading. Ironically, shortly
after Merck announced the study results the FDA approved the addition of
an autoimmune related disease to the side effects listed for another
HPV vaccine.
An article posted on September 3 in
Infectious Disease News reported that study data was presented at the 50th Interscience
Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy which showed that
Merck's quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (Gardasil) did not
raise the risk for developing autoimmune conditions. The study was
sponsored by Merck and conducted on behalf of the Gardasil Safety Team.
Ironically, only a day earlier on September 2, a letter was issued by
the FDA Department of Health and Human Services to GlaxoSmithKline
Biologicals on September 2, 2010, granting their request to "add
lymphadenopathy to the Adverse Reactions" in the full prescribing
information for their HPV vaccine Cervarix.
In Wikipedia lymphadenopathy is described as "a term meaning 'disease
of the lymph nodes.' It is, however, almost synonymously used with
'swollen/enlarged lymph nodes'. It could be due to infection,
auto-immune disease, or malignancy. Autoimmune etiology includes
sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis all
giving a generalized lymphadenopathy."
Further casting doubt on the Merck study is the fact that thus far over
300 events have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting
System (VAERS) where the vaccine is HPV or HPV4 (Gardasil) and the
symptom is lymphadenopathy. Norma Erickson, President of S.A.N.E Vax,
Inc., referred to the Merck funded study as "an outrageous excuse for a
scientific study. There are over 60 autoimmune disorders reported to
VAERS and the 16 least likely to exhibit (even with Gardasil) were
chosen with percentages compiled on only 11 of those - and they were
probably randomly sampled."
The new study is hardly the first Merck funded study that has vouched
for the safety of its pharmaceutical products which was later proven
false. The most blatant examples were the Merck funded studies on what
came to be known as "the Vioxx Scandal". Besides self-serving studies,
Merck was found to also be guilty of hiding proof of harm, especially
increased risks of heart attack. Merck was also found to have paid
doctors and researchers to put their names on papers Merck wrote.
Before Vioxx was finally pulled from the shelves over 60,000 deaths
were attributed to Vioxx.
Merck has invested huge amounts of money and efforts to lobby
governments in the U.S. and in other countries to make HPV vaccinations
mandatory for young school girls, and it has vigorously maintained
that Gardasil is safe. Critics have noted that the figures do not
support Merck's claims of safety.
For example, Gardasil causes 400% more deaths than other common vaccines. See:
www.naturalnews.com/026722_Gardasil_HPV_cervical_cancer.htmlEvery week brings more Gardasil horror stories. According to the
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, there have been 77 deaths
linked to Gardasil as of September and a whopping 18461 reports of
adverse events. In all 137 deaths have been linked to HPV vaccines.
Shortly after Merck began its intense campaign for Gardasil, Judicial
Watch president Tom Fitton warned: "The FDA adverse event reports on
the HPV vaccine read like a catalog of horrors. Any state or local
government now beset by Merck's lobbying campaigns to mandate this HPV
vaccine for young girls ought to take a look at these adverse health
reports."
It is a warning too few governments, or parents, have heeded.
Sources included:
http://www.seopressreleases.com/gardasil-autoimmune-diseases-cervarix...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphadenopathyhttp://wikicompany.org/fs/empire/?D=A&if=1http://www.naturalnews.com/026722_Gardasil_HPV_cervical_cancer.htmhttp://www.judicialwatch.org/gardasilSource:-
http://www.naturalnews.com/030172_Merck_Gardasil.html