translate some passages from an article published August 7, 2010 on an American website, the Green Valley News (www.gvnews.com). HERE the full text in English.
GARDASIL E 'money, not lives saved
Gardasil. The first vaccine that prevents cancer. A miracle like the polio vaccine (at least according to Texas Governor Rick Perry). Enough death for young women with cervical cancer.
I'm exaggerating? Yet I have seen firsthand how the Gardasil was presented to the state of Colorado many years ago. [...] The
Gardasil does not prevent cancer. It prevents two strains of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancers. There are over 100 strains of the virus, many of whom are at low risk.
Cut 70% still seems good. Although, to want to watch, many women have had an HPV infection (usually asymptomatic) only around 50 years. But a closer look at the statistics.
A study dating from the early era Gardasil (2006) said that 2.3% of women over 25 years had contracted one of the two most dangerous strains of HPV. It 'a very high percentage. But the data show that the virus disappears approximately 90% of the time without causing any problems.
So now we have 2.3 per 1,000 women who may develop cancer. Means that have cancer? Not at all.
Cervical cancer develops with very slow steps. It is believed that it takes at least 10 years because the virus starts to change the cells to begin the process leading to cancer. If in those 10 years the cellular changes are identified, it can easily be treated. And not all women are at risk the same way. There are higher rates of risk, but for those women with dangerous lifestyles (eg drug use).
The CDC has published statistics that show the real degree of danger.
In Arizona, every 100 thousand women have developed cancer 6.6 and 1.3 of these died (2004). In the period 2003-07, there have been no deaths from cervical cancer in women under 21 years.
[...] More importantly, these deaths could be prevented with a simple Pap test.
[...] Thanks to Gardasil, Merck has a turnover of one billion and 400 million dollars in the first year of marketing. The Merck is the same company that promoted the Vioxx data that although there were talking about very high risk of death from cardiac causes.
And the side effects of Gardasil? We were constantly reassured that they are insignificant, but the Indian government has blocked the administration after the death of four young girls and after that another 120 patients showed significant side effects. [...]
Charles Barta (the author) has retired to Green Valley after 10 years of management in different health insurance companies. Before that, he was interned in the Medical Systems Division and manager of Pfizer.
.
