A new Illinois administrative rule allows children as young as 12 years old to request and receive vaccinations for sexually transmitted infections without their parents knowledge or permission. However, new medical data is raising serious concerns about the health risks associated with the vaccine.
The vaccine in question is Gardasil, made by pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. It is designed to fight the human papillomavirus, which can lead to genital warts and is connected to cervical cancer. However, medical experts are voicing concerns about the safety of the vaccination.
Dr. Lucija Tomljenovic, PhD from the Neural Dynamics Research Group at the University of British Colombia has strongly criticized the vaccine, saying "The efficacy of Gardasil in preventing cervical cancer has not been demonstrated and the marketing campaign has been misleading. The efficacy of Gardasil remains unsubstantiated since the vaccine hasn't been adequately tested on the primary age group to which it is currently given. Merck promoted Gardasil primarily as a vaccine against cervical cancer, rather than promoting it as a vaccine against HPV infection or sexually transmitted disease."
Last month, Japan's health ministry issued a nationwide notice that cervical cancer vaccinations should no longer be recommended, and several Japanese teens who received the vaccines are now in wheelchairs with damage to their brains and spinal cords.
In addition, the U.S. federal government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System's latest July 2013 report shows 30,674 adverse reactions after Gardasil vaccinations, with up to 963 recipients being left "disabled" and 140 dead.
Source: Illinois Review
