LETTER TO EDITOR - TIMARU HERALD - CANCER VACCINE 2008-08-05

In her letter (31 July) Helen Petousis-Harris from the Immunisation Advisory Centre endeavours to discredit further information I have gathered regarding the Gardasil HPV Vaccine.

My concern was that impartial tests by the Ministry of Health have never been carried out on New Zealand women. In her letter she states women from Auckland and Christchurch participated in clinical trials for this vaccine. My research shows these clinical trials were carried out by MSD NZ (Merck Sharp & Dohme New Zealand) which is an off shoot from parent company Merck & Co who is the company marketing this Gardasil HPV Vaccine. It is also worthwhile noting that Merck & Co is the company behind the now withdrawn painkiller “Vioxx” due to concerns over its safety. This company has 27,000 lawsuits against it and has already had to pay out billions in damages. Patents are also expiring on some of its best selling drugs. It appears that in the later stages of the development of this vaccine things have been hurried along somewhat. The Food and Drug Administration of America (FDA) documented that safety had never been proven in 11 and 12 year old girls.

As a condition of licensing Gardasil, the FDA acknowledged that inadequate safety studies had been carried out in this age group, however they still allowed licensing of this vaccine.

Helen Petousis-Harris also states clinical trials were carried out in 22 countries. However Dr Alison Roberts from the Ministry of Health states in her memo (2 May 2008) to General Practitioners & Practice Nurses that clinical trials were carried out in 13 countries.

Thanks to the two women mentioned above, who through their replies to my letters, have inspired me to investigate further into the history and facts surrounding this vaccine. Of new concern is the inconsistency I’m uncovering within the spokes persons promoting this vaccination programme. That Merck & Co doesn’t appear to have the best track record or thorough trials relating to this vaccine and what's most disquietening is the further I delve the murkier aspects surrounding this Gardasil HPV vaccine are becoming.

J Smith

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