The heated debates surround FDA-approved human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines like Gardasil have swirled around the drugs since they hit the market in 2006. HPV is a leading cause of cervical cancer. Still, many have claimed the vaccines are unnecessary, harmful and may cause injury or death. Nevertheless, HPV vaccines were heavily promoted and publicized by drug companies in a series of aggressive television commercials and magazine advertisements. Sales of Gardasil reached a whopping $1.4 billion worldwide in 2008, thanks largely in part to Merck’s 1 Less campaign that urges adolescent girls to protect themselves from HPV. The company convinced consumers that vaccination against HPV was the responsible and smart way to protect young women against this growing problem. Yet the safety of Gardasil remains in question, leaving many parents of young girls frightened and confused by the product’s claims and side effects.
This week, a lawsuit filed in the U.S. Federal Court of Claims alleges that Gardasil caused the death of a 16-year-old girl. It has not been determined whether the negligence of the pharmaceutical company caused the girls death. According to official court documents, two days after receiving her final Gardasil shot, the teenage girl collapsed in seizures while walking through a parking lot. Although she was rushed to the hospital, she died just a few moments later. The collapse and sudden death of an otherwise healthy young woman, say lawyers, just two days after receiving Gardasil is a compelling case against the Merck-produced drug. The suit is pending in the vaccine injury compensation program with the U.S. Federal Court of Claims in Washington D.C.
Concerns about Gardasil’s safety surfaced in late 2008, when 12,424 incidents of injuries related to Gardasil were reported in the national Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. Another report by Judicial Watch alleges that Gardasil was not properly tested and furthermore may not even protect users from HPV.
Past lawsuits involving Gardasil claim the drug was responsible for blood clots, seizures, and paralysis.
