Ineffectiveness, serious side effects: since its European marketing authorization in September 2006, the Gardasil vaccine has been the subject of much criticism. A few days ago, a group of doctors from Reunion Island even questioned, in a letter to the Minister of Health, the benefits of the very expensive Gardasil vaccine (135 euros per dose, 2 or 3 doses per person) against certain human papillomaviruses that can cause cervical cancer. And that same week, two young girls filed a claim for compensation with the Regional Commission for Conciliation and Compensation for Medical Accidents (CRCI) in Lyon, because the vaccine would have caused them to have attacks of paralysis and headaches. untimely heads.
Under the supervision of Afssaps
The marketing of Gardasil in France was accompanied by monitoring and risk minimization measures. Thus Afssaps (the French Agency for Sanitary and Health Products) has set up a group of experts responsible for studying any unexpected side effects. In addition, a surveillance study of the incidence of autoimmune diseases is currently being carried out by Afssaps in nearly 6 million vaccinated and unvaccinated young girls. “The results, after two years of follow-up, do not show an increase in the risk of autoimmune diseases associated with anti HPV vaccination” declares Afssaps in its third pharmacovigilance review.
From 2006 to December 2010, nearly 4 million doses of the vaccine were delivered. Available data indicates that 92% of prescriptions are filled at the recommended ages, more than half of which are for girls aged 15 or younger.
According to Afssaps, nearly 1,700 side effect notifications were collected: nearly 82% of them concern known adverse effects, benign and transient, with a predominance of pain at the injection site, fever, hives or vasovagal syncope. Compared to the 2009 study, the effects remain the same and “the benefit / risk ratio remains favorable and close to the job security profile as defined at the time of its marketing authorization”. concludes Afssaps.
