Friday, December 19, 2008

Gardasil Featured in Time Magazine’s The Year in Medicine 2008—Because of Possible Side Effects

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Gardasil sure has had a lot of press. But Merck, the maker of the anti-HPV vaccine, might not be too thrilled with its coverage in Time Magazine’s feature The Year in Medicine 2008.

Gardasil: Vaccine Battle? reads the headline.

The story goes on to say “It's the first vaccine for the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, which causes genital warts and cervical cancer. But girls vaccinated with Gardasil since 2006 have experienced some serious side effects, including seizures and fainting, and 27 teens died after receiving the shot. An ongoing study is investigating whether these events were caused by the vaccine; health officials say the shot is safe.”

What do you think? Is Gardasil a no-brainer for you, or do you see potential side-effects as a possible deal-killer?