Jun 15, 2013: HPV vaccine issues trigger health notice: Japan had issued a nationwide notice that cervical cancer vaccinations should no longer be recommended for girls aged 12 to 16 because several adverse reactions

The health ministry has issued a nationwide notice that cervical cancer vaccinations should no longer be recommended for girls aged 12 to 16 because several adverse reactions to the medicines have been reported.“It is necessary to gather information immediately to accurately grasp how often (the side effects) are occurring,” said Mariko Momoi, who chairs the panel at the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry that decided to suspend the recommendation. Momoi is vice president of the International University of Health and Welfare.

Cervical cancer vaccines are a recent addition to the regular vaccination list and were added after a revision to the Preventive Vaccination Law took effect in April. In Japan, cervical cancer is second only to breast cancer among those aged 20 to 39 and is estimated to strike nearly 9,000 women each year.

Despite the notice, issued Friday, most local governments will likely keep the vaccinations in question on their lists of free vaccines. But a ministry official said the vaccination rate is certain to drop sharply.

The two vaccines sold in Japan are Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKlein PLC of Britain, and Gardasil, made by Merck Sharp & Dohme, known as Merck & Co. in the United States.

Mika Matsufuji, 46, who represents an association of cervical cancer vaccination victims’ parents, said the health panel’s decision was a “big step forward.” Her daughter, who was vaccinated with Cervarix in 2011, lost the ability to walk and is now in a wheelchair, she said.

The group is calling for the vaccinations to be halted.

The panel said there was a strong possibility that severe prolonged pain was caused by some of the vaccinations. It concluded that active recommendation of cervical cancer vaccinations should thus be halted until a more complete picture of their side effects can be attained.

The ministry said this is the second time it has suspended a recommendation related to the regular vaccine program since problems cropped up with the Japanese encephalitis vaccine in 2005.

In 2011, however, Pfizer Inc.’s Prevnar and Sanofi SA’s ActHIB vaccines were suspended for about a month following the deaths of four children.

The panel focused on 38 cervical vaccine recipients who reported widespread pain. Given the timing of their symptoms, the panel concluded that a causal link to the vaccines could not be ruled out in many of the cases.

There were 245.1 reports of side effects per million vaccinations for Cervarix, and 155.7 reports per million for Gardasil — more than two other, separate vaccines that affect both sexes and were added to the regular list at around the same time.

Reports of side effects from the other two medicines came to 89.1 per million for a set of pneumococcus vaccines and 67.4 per million for Japanese encephalitis vaccines.

A lowered probability of pregnancy in females in the USA aged 25-29 who received a human papillomavirus vaccine injection

Jun 23, 2013: Carol Green, another parent, also shares her testimony.

Wise decision on cervix vaccine

Regarding the June 15 Kyodo article “Cervix vaccine issues trigger health notice“: I was so relieved to read about the Japanese health ministry’s decision not to recommend HPV vaccinations to young girls while further research is conducted.

When my own daughter was 15, she suffered a severe, adverse reaction less than 24 hours after receiving the Cervarix vaccination in 2009. She was eventually diagnosed with CFS/ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) and is still unable to work or resume her education. We continue to fight for recognition of the dangers for those few unfortunate girls like our daughter.

A lowered probability of pregnancy in females in the USA aged 25-29 who received a human papillomavirus vaccine injection

According to the Annals of Medicine:

“At present there are no significant data showing that either Gardasil or Cervarix (GlaxoSmithKline) can prevent any type of cervical cancer since the testing period employed was too short to evaluate long-term benefits of HPV vaccination.”

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton cited this quote in a warning against wide-spread immuninzation, saying that, “Public health officials should stop pushing Gardasil on children.”

But it’s not just the public health officials pushing the vaccine. The governor of Texas, Rick Perry , issued an executive order adding Gardasil to the state’s required vaccination list, which was later overturned by the Texas legislature. Conservative groups, including the Family Research Council (FRC), expressed fear that vaccination with Gardasil might give girls a false sense of security regarding sex and lead to promiscuity, but no evidence exists to suggest that girls who were vaccinated later engaged in more sexual activity than unvaccinated girls. 

Other state’s including California have had similar proposals, but with more questionable facts emerging, this trend is thankfully waning.

The FDA’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has documented thousands of adverse reactions to Gardasil. It has also noted unreported side effects, safety concerns and questionable marketing practices.

Human papillomavirus vaccine side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Cervarix: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving Cervarix. When you receive a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shot caused any side effects.

You may feel faint after receiving Cervarix. Some people have had seizure-like reactions after receiving a human papilloma virus vaccine. Your doctor may want you to remain under observation during the first 15 minutes after the injection.

Developing cancer from HPV is much more dangerous to your health than receiving the vaccine to protect against it. However, like any medicine, Cervarix can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

Common Cervarix side effects may include:

• pain, swelling, or redness where the shot was given;
• headache, tired feeling;
• joint or muscle pain;
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain; or
• swollen glands.

What other drugs will affect human papillomavirus vaccine?

Other drugs may interact with HPV bivalent vaccine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. 

Cervarix Drug Interactions

Currently displaying a list of 284 drugs known to interact with Cervarix (human papillomavirus vaccine).

• 1 major drug interaction
• 274 moderate drug interactions
• 2 minor drug interactions

Return to the list: Medications known to interact with Cervarix

Ref: https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/human-papillomavirus-vaccine,cervarix-index.html

Final Note:

The Indian government is currently exploring the possibility of introducing the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer in the Budget 2024. However, it is crucial for the Indian government to carefully assess the allocation of resources and ensure that taxpayer funds are not utilized for vaccine development and campaigns without thorough examination. Historical records have shown uncertain evidence of their effectiveness and even reported cases of deaths associated with them. It would be a wise course of action to halt the production and testing of vaccines.

Source: Japantimes, Clinicalnews, Drugs, ET-Image, Wikipedia, Fiercepharma -image, Imgsistemas-Inage

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