Cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil sparks reactions

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Cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil sparks reactions

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(http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22864043-2862,00.html?from=mostp\

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December 04, 2007 12:00am

 

 

ALMOST 500 girls have had adverse reactions such as seizures, rashes and

paralysis after taking cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil in Australia since it

was released in April.

Of those, almost 200 Victorian schoolgirls were affected and 10 girls were

admitted to hospital after fainting or collapsing following the jabs.

But leading experts defended the benefits of Gardasil and dismissed

controversial reports of overseas deaths as unrelated and fictitious.

Doctors yesterday played down many side-effects as being unrelated, and said

figures were low and what was expected in proportion to the number of doses

dished out.

More than 13 million doses have been given worldwide.

Some 2.2 million Australian women have received the jab, with almost 500,000

in Victoria.

Gardasil guards against strains of the human papilloma virus that cause 70

per cent of cervical cancers, and is administered to girls under 18 through a

national vaccination program.

As of November 30, there had been 496 adverse reaction reports to the

Therapeutic Goods Association with the HPV vaccine as the sole suspected cause.

In the US more than 2220 reports were lodged in 12 months, including

controversial reports of more than seven deaths.

But Gardasil co-creator Ian Frazer, the Health Department and manufacturer

CSL yesterday dismissed allegations of associated deaths in the US, claiming

the women died of unrelated causes.

Prof Frazer, a leading immunologist and former Australian of the Year,

blamed anti-immunisation groups for exaggerating data as a scare tactic against

inoculation.

Immunisation specialist Dr Jim Buttery, who works at the Royal Children's

Hospital, declared Gardasil safe but said all reports were taken seriously.

Although the TGA refused to reveal detailed results, it said Gardasil was

monitored by the US FDA and Centres for Disease Control, and in Australia by

the Adverse Drug Reaction Advisory Committee, the Australian Technical Advisory

Group on Immunisation and the National Immunisation Committee.

The TGA's Dr Rohan Hammett said: " All . . . advised that current rates of

adverse reactions are consistent with those expected with any vaccine. "