If boys ever felt left out of the Gardasil Campaign -- to protect girls against 4 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), two of which are found in 70% of cervical cancer cases -- they no longer need to feel that way.
The New York Timeswrites that Merck Pharmaceutical, the makers of the Gardasil vaccine, is now making the vaccine available to boys, ages 9 to 26, to protect against genital warts, and penile and anal cancers.
The Gardasil vaccine campaign of 2006 targeted girls, ages 9-26, even though the original trials never tested nine-year olds. At the time, both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians wanted to obtain more data before proceeding. Since then, however, the FDA advisory panel reviewed three studies of Gardasil that totaled more than 5,000 males ages 9 to 26 in various countries including the U.S. Gardasil was found to be 89% effective in preventing genital warts, and was less effective in participants who had already been exposed to HPV.
Millions of girls have been vaccinated, but market share for Merck has declined slightly and high hopes are riding on vaccines, especially Gardasil. Could that be part of the reason for the shift to the other half of the population?
Will pets be next?
According to the Times article, the vaccine is only effective for five years. To a 9-year old, that means by the time they are 13, there is no more protection from acquiring HPV, genital warts, penile cancer, or cervical cancer from any of the sex in which they might have engaged.
Will parents of sons go out and get the 3-shot vaccine when genital warts are not life threatening, are treatable, and penile anal cancers are extremely rare? Boys never need worry about contracting cervical cancer (unless they are hermaphrodites).
But pressure from pediatricians will urge parents to "take responsibility for controlling a communicable disease" and "prevent the transmission of HPV."
Perhaps Merck wants to make this a parental decision because young adults may not choose to take it later, when they become sexually active (too many other distractions)?
What About the Side Effects?
There are valid concerns about the complications and potential side effects of fainting, neurological illness, and death.
There are than 1660 "side effects" for Gardasil listed on the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System VAERS: See A Judicial Watch Special Report: Examining The FDA's HPV Vaccine Records.
There have been at least 32 reported deaths related to the vaccine. ABC News' medical editor, Dr. Timothy Johnson, said he would learn more about the shot before getting his daughters vaccinated. He points to an editorial in the medical journal, JAMA, which questions the safety of the shot. Even the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine questions the efficacy of the shot.
An article published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (1997), reviewed the 697 reports of syncope (fainting) that occurred after vaccination and had been reported to VAERS between 1990 and 1995. More than 97 percent of the events have occurred within 30 minutes of a vaccine, establishing a causal relationship. Of these, six patients sustained a serious head injury, including skull fracture, cerebral bleeding and cerebral contusion. Three of these patients required brain surgery and two were left with substantial residual neurological deficits at six months to two years after follow-up.(5) Dizziness and fainting after vaccination is not something to be taken lightly."
According to a USA Today article, clinical trials of the vaccine showed, "Fifteen women in the vaccine group and 16 in the placebo group gave birth to babies with abnormalities. But five of the babies were born to women who conceived within a month of getting the vaccine, while none were born to women who conceived within a month of getting the placebo."
In 2007, worldwide sales of Gardasil brought in $1.5 billion. Meanwhile, Merck is dealing with court headaches for jaw problems from its bone loss drug Fosamax, an FDA warning on its drug manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania, and an FDA's request for Merck's asthma drug, Singulair, to carry a warning label against mood changes and suicidal behavior.
There has been no follow-up study on the success of the Girls Gardasil Program. None that I can find. Furthermore, concerns from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians were never answered.
One other thing, the original idea to target girls (half of population) to prevent sexually transmitted HPV should have precluded the need to target boys.
Even so, the Gardasil vaccine for boys is a go.