CDC: HPV and Cervical Cancer Vaccine is Perfectly Safe
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a statement out of its Immunization Safety Office saying that Gardasil, the vaccine designed to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) which can cause cervical cancer, is safe and should be given to girls starting at age 11 or 12.
The article notes that some political groups are frightened that the vaccine will encourage girls and young women to engage in sexual activities that the groups do not approve of, and apparently do not feel that saving these women's lives outweighs this risk. These political groups have been trying to claim that Gardasil is not safe or effective. But the CDC statement points out that a study of 370,000 vaccinations showed no evidence of a link to increased blood clots or other serious health problems, meaning that claims of Gardasil's dangers are counterfactual. From the article:
"The results are really reassuring," said Dr. Paul Offit, chief of the infectious diseases division at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "There's a public perception that the vaccine is not safe. This is important for countering negative information."
The article points out that there are almost 4,000 deaths from cervical cancer each year. Doctors hope that this vaccine will reduce the number of these deaths.
