When Merck first starting airing all of the “One Less” commercials, Gardasil was being advertised as a cervical cancer vaccine.

In fact, those were the exact words a nurse used to get my daughter to take the vaccine. She told her, “You are going off to college soon, don’t you want to be protected against cervical cancer?” We then inquired about side effects and were given the “official” information sheet, and the side effects listed were: bruising, redness and or swelling at injection site, and the possibility of a low grade fever. In fact, when I asked about side effects, I was told this was one of, if not THE safest vaccines EVER produced.

Flash forward nine days: my beautiful, previously-healthy 16 year old daughter was literally gray, lying in a hospital bed in the Intensive Care Unit (“ICU”) with inflammation and swelling around her heart. She was weak, dizzy, in extreme pain, had lost the use of her left arm, was having breathing difficulties and many other numerous health issues. We did not know if she would survive or not. The doctor directly attributed my daughter’s sudden health ailments to Gardasil. My daughter, who had spent the last several years running six to ten miles a day, was now lying in a hospital bed, unable to cross the room, let alone get out of bed, all because of Gardasil, something that was being touted as a miracle vaccine, one that would prevent cervical cancer.

We now know, that Gardasil is actually a vaccine designed to combat some forms (four to be exact) of the Human Papillomavirus (“HPV”), that in some cases may lead to cervical cancer. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) website, 90% of those who develop HPV will be able to clear the infection without any treatment. Also, the efficacy of Gardasil is not known. Those involved in the trials feel it may be effective for five years. So, if this is true, why does a nine year old need this vaccine? And what happens at the end of the five years? A booster shot? Three more injections? No one has answered this because no one knows. The vaccine is too new and has not been studied long enough for these questions to be answered.

In fact, I found an article in which Dr. Diane Harper was interviewed about Gardasil. She was one of the main developers, and when asked, “Do you believe that the Gardasil vaccine, as it currently stands, could present more risks to a young girl or woman than the possibility of cervical cancer”? She replied, “Pap smears have never killed anyone. Pap smears are an effective screening tool to prevent cervical cancer. Pap smears alone prevent more cervical cancers than can the vaccines alone”.

Gardasil is associated with serious adverse events, including death. If Gardasil is given to 11 year-olds, and the vaccine does not last at least fifteen years, then there is no benefit – and only risk – for the young girl. Vaccinating will not reduce the population incidence of cervical cancer if the woman continues to get Pap screening throughout her life.

If a woman is never going to get Pap screening, then a HPV vaccine could offer her a better chance of not developing cervical cancer, and this protection may be valued by the woman as worth the small but real risks of serious adverse events. On the other hand, the woman may not value the protection from Gardasil as being worth the risk knowing that 1) she is at low risk for a persistent HPV infection and 2) most pre-cancers can be detected and treated successfully. It is entirely a personal value judgment.

So, if you or someone you know is considering getting this vaccine, PLEASE do your research. This is not a vaccine to be taken lightly.  It has injured thousands of girls. Girls who thought they were going to be “One Less.” Unfortunately, in some respects, they were right.

Please Educate Before You Vaccinate!

Teresa Allen is a single mother of a 16 year old daughter. She was part of a large group of mothers invited by the FDA to speak on March 12th, 2010 regarding Gardasil-related injuries.