Medical community expresses concerns about much-touted cervical cancer shot
The medical community is voicing its reservations concerning the much-touted vaccination that is supposed to help prevent cervical cancer. The main reason behind these concerns is that the drug was tested on a relatively small number of people before being released onto the market. In the United States the Gardasil vaccine has been in circulation since June 2006, and since January of this year the American Academy of Pediatrics has been recommending that the shot be given to anyone requesting it. Austria and Estonia are the only countries where it has been characterized as a routine vaccine, though the cost is not covered by any health insurance fund in those countries. In Greece, we are still waiting for a resolution from the National Vaccination Committee. According to the committee’s president, Athens University pediatrics professor Andreas Constantopoulos, «right now the committee is gathering data from countries where the vaccine is being administered on a large scale, in order to assess any potential problems or side effects. Once this information is collected, the committee will convene to reach a decision about what steps we should be taking in Greece.» He continues: «In order to evaluate whether a vaccination has side effects or not, it must be administered to a very large number of people. This is the case for all drugs and one example of note is that of aspirin, which has been used for over a century, and up until 25 years ago had not produced any notable side effects. Since, however, we have learned it is responsible for a number of serious side effects, including problems in blood clotting and Reye’s syndrome [a deadly disease that strikes swiftly and can attack any child or adult without warning. All body organs are affected, with the liver and brain suffering most]. Before receiving approval for distribution, the Gardasil vaccine was tested on 24,000 women and 1,071 boys, a relatively small number that cannot allow us to say with certainty whether there are any side effects,» says Constantopoulos. According to the professor, at least 1 million women have already received the shot in the USA and are now beginning to describe possible side effects, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, which causes temporary paralysis, fainting and dizziness. He notes, however, that these particular manifestations cannot be linked with absolute certainty to the vaccine. Constantopoulos also focuses on the fact that the vaccination effectively covers 60-75 percent of cancer virus strains that are responsible for cervical cancer. «Therefore,» he says, «the vaccination does not ‘root out’ the cancer, but reduces it to the same extent as the Pap test does.» One crucial issue concerning the vaccine is its very high cost. In Greece, each dose costs up to 185 euros, making it one of the most expensive in Europe. Constantopoulos notes that «about 45 percent of the price at which it is sold in Greece comprises taxes and the profits of pharmaceutical dealers. If the Ministry of Health includes the vaccination on the National Vaccination Program, they must also find a way for the state not to shoulder the cost of that additional 45 percent.»
