Disease Proof

Gardasil, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that several state legislatures are considering mandating girls must receive to attend school, may be more dangerous than consumers have been led to believe, a public-interest group reported in late May.


After obtaining information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through a Freedom of Information Act request, Washington, DC-based Judicial Watch reported 1,637 adverse events involving Gardasil, including three deaths related to the vaccine.

"As of May 11, 2007, the 1,637 adverse vaccination reactions reported to the FDA via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) included 371 serious reactions," Judicial Watch reported in a news release. "Of the 42 women who received the vaccine while pregnant, 18 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormalities."

The three deaths were caused by heart problems or blood clots after the patients received Gardasil.