Views on Vaccines

My perfectly healthy 19-year-old daughter began having problems within 24 hours of the vaccine [Gardasil Side Effects? Parents Seek Answers, usnews.com]. She had her first seizure two weeks later. She has not been diagnosed with epilepsy and nobody knows why she is having seizures. They increased after the second shot, and she had them daily for months. She also had multiple other problems including, hair loss, severe stomach aches, migraines, vision problems, bleeding gums, fatigue, body aches and pains, kidney infection, two UTIs [urinary tract infections], joint pain, tremors. None of which she had prior to Gardasil. She was hospitalized multiple times and all tests were normal. We did not get the third shot. We continue to deal with her symptoms, fortunately after a year of this her seizures have spread out and the last one was three months ago. We continue to test for problems as the symptoms still persist. I know Gardasil is to blame.

Comment by Leslie of NM

I can talk about my daughter's adverse reaction to Gardasil and not convince anyone. So consider this: how many women in your life have been or are currently suffering from HPV and/or cervical cancer? In my world the number is zero. With the level at which Gardasil is marketed, one is lead to believe HPV/cervical cancer is an epidemic in the United States.

Comment by Nina of IL

When I read these posts (having had a child who had seizures after a DPT shot, and who will never have a DPT again, but this is a known risk), I have to question the parents who say "read the label" on the ingredients in a shot/vaccine, especially for teens. Have you read the ingredients on a deodorant/ antiperspirant? Tons of "aluminum." How savvy are you about the mercury levels in the "healthy" fish you feed your children? Do you use canned, frozen meals, or other heavily processed foods? How old is your house? Are there any other diagnoses illnesses or sensitivities in your family history? I am not saying that [people aren't] immune to side effects, potentially deadly, from vaccines, but I am saying that blaming this stuff on a vaccine, without understanding any potential damaging complications/additions/contradictions from what exists in your own home environment, or ethnicity, or family history, is silly.

Comment by Elizabeth of OH

Those of us whose vaccine-injured children became autistic can tell the Gardasil parents that as it stands now, if your child is injured by a vaccine, you have absolutely no recourse! Your pediatrician is covered, the vaccine companies are completely protected from litigation, and the supposed "vaccine court" is a place families languish year after year with a cap on awards at $250,000 for the death of a child, and even that award is extremely unlikely. The courts require evidence of causality, which is impossible to provide in these situations. In this situation, if you are not completely disgusted, you aren't paying attention. If anyone doubts that the business aspect is more important to these pharmaceutical companies than the health and well-being of our beloved children, be aware that there are 140 childhood vaccines waiting for approval.

Comment by Alison MacNeil of MA