WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ-With the recent hobby lobby ruling bringing female reproductive health into the spotlight, it is important for women to develop a thorough understanding of their options. As students prepare to re enter campus life, it is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of those annual check ups that so many Universities encourage, and ask your doctor about a controversial vaccine that has been considered essential to female reproductive health for a number of years: the Gardasil vaccine.
Gardasil was first introduced in 2006 by creators Dr. Diane Harper and Australian scientist Ian Frazer along with colleagues from Georgetown University, University of Rochester, and the National Cancer Institute, according to the article, “License to Kill” by Mark Blaxill. The purpose of this vaccine is to prevent human papilloma virus, or HPV, which is linked to the development of cervical cancer. There are three separate doses of the vaccine that are given over a course of three months. Even though the creators of the vaccine claim it is essential for every 9-26 year-old female to receive, it only protects against HPV types 6,11, 16, and 18. That is only four strains out of hundreds, according to Blaxill.
In 2009, creator Dr. Harper spoke out regarding the potential dangers of the Gardasil vaccine, stating, “If we vaccinate 11 year-olds and the protection doesn’t last we’ve put them at harm from side effects, small but real, for no benefit. Dr. Harper went on to state, “Data available for Gardasil shows that it lasts five years; there is no data showing that it remains effective beyond five years,” according to Sharyl Attkisson in her article, “Gardasil Researcher Speaks Out.” Dr. Harper also believes more warning needs to be given to women and their families about the risk factors of the vaccination by their doctors.
There are a number of alarming side effects associated with Gardasil. Common symptoms include fainting, seizures, severe stomach pain, chest pains, trouble breathing, swollen glands, confusion, and in worst case scenarios death. For a comprehensive list of side effects and statistics click here.
Many victims came forward to tell their stories on how they lost loved ones due to the vaccine in addition to the impact the vaccine has had on the lives of women.
16 year-old Amber Kaufman was not lucky enough to tell the story herself received the Gardasil vaccine on March 31st, 2008. Just three days later, Amber collapsed, had a seizure, and her heart stopped. Up until April 7th, 2008, Amber was on life support and feeding tubes, but was taken off that day. Amber struggled too much to breathe on her own; her mother told her to let go.
Fashion blogger Audrey Kitching was fortunate to recover from the horrid side effects Gardasil gave her to tell her story. Within two weeks of getting the second dose of Gardasil, her weight dropped to 85 pounds. Kitching could not eat or drink, could not even walk on her own because she felt so weak, had greenish-gray skin, could not talk in complete sentences, and had extremely high blood pressure. Every medical specialist she has seen found high concentrations of chemicals and metals in her body. She was ordered to follow a metal detox program, special diet, and to take 76 supplements a day to function. Audrey was supposed to get the third dose of Gardasil, but knew deep down that she should not. Instead, she did research on Gardasil and found over 13,000 girls with health complications and medical regimes similar to and worse than her’s due to the vaccine.
“I have received the vaccine and have not experienced any negative side effects,” stated Monmouth University Senior Caitlyn Bahrenburg. “However, hearing the stories associated with the vaccine has really illuminated the importance of asking your doctor the tough questions and really being informed of what you are putting into your body.”
Some ingredients of Gardasil include amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate, sodium chloride, L-histidine, sodium borate, and polysorbate 80. Sodium borate is known as a poison that kills roaches and polysorbate 80 is known to cause anaphylactic shock when mixed with vitamins and cancer. Also, Gardasil contains 225 cmg of aluminum in each shot, which translates into 675cmg of aluminum because there are three doses. The aluminum itself is extremely toxic to the body.
Despite the the negative effects associated with this vaccine, the aforementioned stories are not universal occurrences. Although the detriments of receiving the vaccine have been proven, the efficacy of receiving Gardasil has also been proven among recipients. It is important to consult your doctor prior to deciding whether or not to receive the Gardasil vaccine. Maintaining your health could be as simple as asking a few questions.
