Curiously Awesome

In spite of mounting evidence of serious and even fatal reactions to the human papillomavirus ( HPV) vaccine, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today that immigrants to the US are required to have the HPV vaccination to protect against cervical cancer.

The new rule separates “age-appropriate” groups (girls and young adult women) and requires they show proof of the vaccinations or they will not be granted legal permanent resident status in the U.S.

This is an enormous marketing success for the drug giant Merck & Co…the maker of the HPV vaccine. Merck has lobbied for virtual universal vaccination of females with the vaccine. Gadisil is currently licensed in for use in girls and women ages 9 to 26 and many health and school officials are pushing to make the vaccine mandatory for all girls by the age of 11 or 12.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008, 11,070 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in this country. With early detection cervical cancer is highly curable. The HPV vaccine has only been on the market since 2006 and has already been responsible for thousands of documented severe side effects, including many deaths.

In addition, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concludes only about 10% of actual side effects end up being reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

There is mounting evidence Gardasil isn’t even particularly effective. HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases and nearly 90 percent of all people who have sex get HPV at some point in their lives. The more sexual partners you have, the more likely you will contract a form of HPV. Six million Americans are infected with HPV every year but only a small number actually develop serious problems.

Here’s the bottom line – if you live a non-promiscuous lifestyle and have a healthy immune system you should feel quite secure and safe from HPV and HPV-caused cancer.