Gardasil and Cervarix (HPV) Vaccine Lawyers

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines such as Gardasil and Cervarix target certain sexually transmitted strains of HPV associated with the development of genital warts and cervical cancer in girls and young women. HPV has also been associated with various cancers of the vagina.

Gardasil is made by Merck & Co. and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 8, 2006. But the FDA has been reticent in its review of Cervarix for a broad audience approval in the US. This is in part because the FDA acknowledges that it does not fully understand HPV vaccines' mechanism of adjuvants in immune response. Cervarix is made by Glaxo Smith Kline.

Merck has claimed that Gardasil is virtually free of serious side effects, and that the most common complaint is pain at the injection site. And after touting that clinical trials had proven Gardasil to be 90 to 100 percent effective in preventing the transmission of some strains of HPV, they lobbied to have state health authorities make the vaccine mandatory for girls. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) endorsed this effort, and 20 states have recently pushed for federal mandates to require Gardasil vaccinations for sixth grade girls.

The watchdog organization Judicial Watch, however, was able to obtain the FDA's reports on Gardasil. This finally happened suspiciously only after they filed a Freedom of Information Act request. A subsequent 2007 analysis of the FDA's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System revealed that there have been at least 3,461 complaints of adverse reactions, which included reports of:

• Blood clots
• Paralysis
• Bells Palsy (paralysis of the nerve that supplies the facial muscles on one side of the face)
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome (inflammatory disorder in which the immune system attacks the nerves)
• Seizures
• Fainting
• Miscarriage
• Death

At best, it is questionable if Merck thoroughly studied Gardasil before netting an estimated $1.4 billion in the vaccine's first year on the market. And since the company continues to market the vaccine as practically side effect free, outright deceit could be reasonably concluded.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury you suspect was the result of an HPV vaccine, you may be entitled to compensation. To find out, consult with an experienced pharmaceutical injury attorney today.

Contact a qualified personal injury attorney for an evaluation of your case.