Concern over HPV vaccines
(Fri, 24 Dec 2010)
THE Consumers Association of Penang is aghast that the relevant authorities, particularly the Health Ministry, have kept silent over the raging controversies on the rush to get young girls vaccinated against cervical cancer. There are many areas of concern over the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine which is said to prevent infection against certain species of human papillomavirus associated with cervical cancer, genital warts and some less common cancers.
Many countries are going slow on this vaccine because of many doubts raised. However, Malaysia is rushing into it. HPV vaccines, given in a series of three shots, are to make the body’s immune system produce antibodies against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause seven out of 10 cases of cervical cancer. The antibodies supposedly protect one from getting infected with HPV.
And yet the authorities are not giving the people any details. Even the type of vaccine used seems to be top secret. Two HPV vaccines are in the market: Gardasil and Cervarix. Which one is Malaysia using? And experts tell us that the regular Pap smear screening must be continued to be done even after vaccination because the vaccine only covers some high-risk types of HPV.
The World Health Organisation warned late last year that those vaccinated and do not continue with screening, such as Pap smear because they wrongly believe they are protected against cervical cancer, can raise the death figures, especially with the vaccine protection waning over time.
Some concerns have been raised by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
As of Sept 1, 2009, there were 15,037 Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) cases of adverse events following Gardasil vaccination in the US. Of these reports, 93% were reports of events considered to be non-serious, and 7% were reports of events considered to be serious.
Reports on non-serious adverse events after Gardasil vaccination have included fainting, pain and swelling at the injection site (the arm), headache, nausea and fever.
VAERS defines serious adverse events as those that involve hospitalisation, permanent disability, life-threatening illnesses and death.
As of Sept 1, 2009, there have been 44 reports of death among females in the US who have received the vaccine.
CAP calls on the authorities to stop the vaccine programme until the people are clear about it. In September 2009, when the government announced its intention to vaccinate some 300,000 13-year-old-schoolgirls, we voiced our objections. We reiterate that inoculating schoolgirls with the vaccine is a symptomatic and simplistic solution to the problem of cervical cancer in children who may contract cervical cancer due to early sexual activity when instead, the root cause for contracting HPV - sexual relations with multiple partners; should be countered by education.
S.M. Mohamed Idris
President
Consumers Association of Penang
President
Consumers Association of Penang
