I love me: HPV Vaccine – controversial or crucial?

Karen Conolly

February 25, 2010

| Submit Comments | Comments (5) |

Dr Rosemary McCann with her daughter Kate McGough 15/02/2010 Pic: Lee Boswell

About 2,900 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in the UK.

It’s the second most common cancer in women under 35 with the human papilloma virus being the major cause.

In the UK, girls in Year 8 at school – aged 12 to 13 – are now offered the HPV vaccine, Cervarix.

The third dose of the vaccine for this year’s group is now ready for administration and research by the NHS has revealed the programme will prevent at least seven out of 10 cancers of the cervix and could defend against even more in the future.

But the vaccine programme is not immune to controversy and many parents argue that their daughters don’t need it if they are not sexually active.

However Dr Rosemary McCann, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in Eccles says: “This vaccine will save lives and it is just as crucial to administer it to young girls who are not yet sexually active as those who are.

“The HPV vaccine protects against the two strains of HPV (16 and 18) that cause cervical cancer.

“Many sexually active women can become infected with HPV but most will fight off the virus on their own. If it persists however, it can cause cancer cells to develop.

“Girls are protected against those strains if they receive the vaccine before becoming sexually active. However, if they receive the vaccine after being sexually active and have been infected by the two strains, they will not be immune.

“This is why it is equally important for a girl or young woman to have the vaccine if they have not yet had sex.”

Dr McCann is practising what she preaches. Her 16-year-old daughter has recently received the third dose of the vaccine, and she says they discussed the pros and cons with her daughter to enable her to come to an independent decision.

“As a mother I’m pleased she did have the vaccine because, as a doctor, I remember well treating a 29-year-old woman who died with cervical cancer,” she adds.

But last year parents were faced with another dilemma over the vaccine when a Coventry schoolgirl died just hours after being given Cervarix.

Fourteen year old Natalie Morton died in hospital in September and Coventry Primary Care Trust launched an immediate investigation. It was later discovered the schoolgirl died from a large malignant tumor in her chest.

At the time, doctors said Natalie’s condition was so severe she could have died at any point and they added that there was no indication the HPV vaccine was a contributing factor to her death.

Dr McCann is keen to reinforce that view. “Young people can and do die suddenly from natural causes,” she says, “and, although such tragedies are rare, they are more common than deaths as a reaction to routine medical treatment.

“Severe adverse reactions to vaccines are very rare.”

But will this allay the fears of parents over the vaccine? “A severe allergic reaction, known as an anaphylactic reaction, can occur following vaccination,” Dr McCann explains.

“This happens in about one in a million vaccinations and it’s important to point out that health professionals giving the vaccines are trained to treat such reactions promptly.

“According to national statistics, there has not been a single recorded death due to anaphylactic reaction following a vaccination for at least 10 years.”

And the national statistics are supported locally, adds Dr McCann. “Last year in Trafford, there were no severe reactions among 1,400 girls who received the HPV vaccine.”

Caste study – Kate McGough

Kate McGough is in year 12 of school and plans to study medicine.

She turns 17 next month and lives in Eccles with her parents and her 15-year-old brother.

Kate has just received her third dose of the HPV vaccine. She took the decision to have the vaccine despite there being no history of cancer in her family after a long discussion with her mother – Dr Rosemary McCann.

Kate says: “It was my own decision to have the vaccine. Of course I talked it over with my mum, just like any girl would, but I suppose with mum being a doctor she had more information - both personal and official - on hand.

“But I know other girls who’ve gone to their own GPs with questions about the vaccine. I did quite a bit of online research about the vaccine and was aware of the young girl dying in Coventry, but I was satisfied with the outcome of that particular investigation.

“I also remember Jade Goody’s death of cervical cancer and while many people felt she was wrong to live out her illness in the media, I think it helped a lot of young women realise how important it is to protect yourself as best you can against cervical cancer.

“She was so young and my mum has seen young women in their late 20s die from cervical cancer. If the HPV vaccine means I’m giving myself a better chance of not getting cervical cancer then I am 100 per cent sure I have done the right thing.

“And this is the message I’ve passed on to all my friends too.”

FACTFILE – HPV and the vaccine

THE VIRUS: The main types of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. You cannot see HPV and most who become infected don’t develop symptoms or even realise they have it.

THE VACCINE: The HPV vaccine programme started in September 2008 with all 12 to 13-year-old and 17 to 18-year-old girls being offered it.

Because the vaccine does not protect against ALL cervical cancers it is important for all girls to have cervical screening later in life (from the age of 25 in England).

RESEARCH: Research has revealed that if girls take up the vaccine, the programme will prevent at least seven out of 10 cancers of the cervix.

THE ARGUMENT FOR THE VACCINE: According to Cancer Research UK, three out of four mothers want their daughters to have the vaccine, while other research among parents reveals that 85 per cent are in favour.

THE ARGUMENT AGAINST THE VACCINE: Twelve per cent of parents and some religious groups say that giving a jab to 12, 13 and 14-year-olds will encourage promiscuity.

THE VACCINE PROGRAMME: More than one million girls have been given the Cervarix vaccine since the start of the initiative in September 2008.

Each girl receives three separate jabs over a six month period. By July 2011, over two million girls will have been offered the HPV vaccine.

MORE INFORMATION: Visit immunisation.nhs.uk/Vaccines/HPV

| Submit Comments | Comments (5) |

Showing comments 1 to 5 and replies | View All

Grace Filby, Reigate, Surrey (25/02/2010 at 14:04)

The arguments you state for and against the vaccine are not really the crucial issue here. The girls are entitled to make up their own minds based on accurate information and a real understanding of the risks/benefits, not pressures from outside organisations who do not know them individually.

Last year I compiled an independent report revealing evidence of mistakes, deception, bribery and downright untruths in the Cervarix HPV vaccine programme in the UK. There were forced vaccinations of young girls against parents wishes, some serious side effects, hospitalisations, many months off school, a Parliamentary debate, Freedom of Information Questions, a Ministerial letter of apology and Parliamentary Questions - even misleading advertising claims on the sides of buses.

In May 2009 a newly qualified driver crashed her car outside a school, just a few minutes after her jab because she passed out on the way home from the GP surgery. The Ministry for Transport decided to do nothing about it. I do think people need to be aware of these hidden risks with vaccines so that they can consider them too.

Even before the HPV programme started in September 2008, there was a call for caution from leading British scientists because of the burgeoning evidence of sensitivity to aluminium (Exley et al - Keele University, Staffordshire). Yet the caution has been ignored. By the way, the scientists have found a natural antidote to the aluminium - 1.5 litres of silica-rich mineral water per day can reduce side effects. Surely this is good news.

Yet from July 09 the UK Government stepped up its campaign - specifically to "reassure girls and their families about the benefits of the HPV vaccine". Who is going to confirm to the girls and the families the truth - that there are risks with any vaccine? And why is Dr McCann not commenting on the known side effects of the vaccine, the long term miseries and disabilities they can cause, nor the link there is with aluminium?

Freda Birrell (25/02/2010 at 18:00)

If vaccination occurs within one year of the onset of sexual activity, there will be 57/1000 cases of all CIN2 +types and persistent HPV 16/18 infections prevented, as compared to only 17/1000 cases prevented if virgins are vaccinated. These are the words of the Principal Investigator of Gardasil and Cervarix, Dr Diane Harper, in her recent interview in December 2009. She also goes on to say If duration of efficacy is less than fifteen years, then no cancers are prevented, only postponed. That is the point in question, it is not known how long Cervarix will protect and it is thought by many that booster jabs will have to be introduced which then makes this a very expensive trial. She cannot stress enough that Pap screening has to be continued for life and that includes vaccinated girls and those who have not been vaccinated - the vaccine does not automatically mean you do not get screened, quite the opposite it is essential that you do. Dr Harper who is an international specialist on HPV's is quite concerned as many young women who have been vaccinated with Gardasil, the sister vaccine to Cervarix, are now returning to her clinic with more abnormal Pap tests and more HPV disease. They are tremendously disappointed when told that Gardasil does not protect against all types of HPV, and neither does Cervarix, and that they are still at risk for cervical cancer. What happens is if you knock out one, two, three or even four of the most prevalent of HPV strains, then others will arise and take their place and become stronger. This is common practice in hospitals with viruses, MRSA growing stronger and resistant to medication and this is now happening with the HPV vaccines. Sadly this is occurring in the USA and it will happen here as well in the UK, wish that wasnt so. Insufficient research was undertaken to check out what would happen if other strains become more dominant, as well as what would be the outcome if young women who were already active sexually and were infected, what their outcome would be. It is known and I am sure Dr McCann is aware of this, if infected then not protected. Dr Harper states "Pap smears alone prevent more cervical cancers than can the vaccines alone". Are our young girls being told all of these facts, are they being told that there are many girls in the UK who are seriously ill after vaccination with Cervarix. I do hope our vaccinated girls will be safe and when it comes to their first Pap screening, they are all clear but sadly the pattern is already happening elsewhere in the world and I believe the same will occur here in the UK. They will find out they are no better of after being vaccinated.

Freda Birrell, Cockburnspath, Berwickshire, Scotland

Julie Jones (25/02/2010 at 18:33)

I am also disappointed that Dr McCann has not commented on the girls who have had severe reactions after having this vaccine. Are they all forgotten and swept under the carpet? Well the parents of these girls will never forget what they and their daughter has gone through. My daughter had her first epileptic seizure 4 days after having the cervarix vaccine, she was then diagnosed with encephalitis and lost 6 months of her life because she can't remember anything that happend to her during this time. She still has severe memory problems and attends a rehab centre. I think it is about time that people listened to our stories and more research was done involving the vaccine. We all know that there are risks with vaccines but we were told that they were only minor ones. I have not let my youngest daughter have the vaccine and none of our family's have let their girls have it either, not until they do more research.I am all for saving lives but our family has been devastsed by what effect this has had on our lives. Twelve months later and we are still living day by day, praying that she doesn't suffer another seizure.

Jacqueline Dollard (25/02/2010 at 22:06)

Would like to set the record straight on the subject of Jade Goody. Her death was tragic but it could have been avoided. As gynecologist Margaret Polaneczky observes, "she ignored letters to come in for followup and treatment." It wasn't until it had reached terminal status she dealth with it. She had plenty of warning that she needed intervention yet waited until it was too late and her cancer had spread throughout her body then she very, very publically embraced death. Odd. To parade her story to young women and say this could happen to you - out of the blue strike you down at such a young age is inaccurate. She did not protect herself from cervical cancer. Ms. Goody led a hard fast life and fell into all of the high risk groups, excessive drinkng, excessive smoking, multiple sex partners and then refused to get treatment for her health to save her life. We should be educating young women about the key importance of screening, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Also the article the go“Girls are protected against those strains if they receive the vaccine before becoming sexually active. However, if they receive the vaccine after being sexually active and have been infected by the two strains, they will not be immune.
“This is why it is equally important for a girl or young woman to have the vaccine if they have not yet had sex.”
od doctor McCann states "
This is untrue. HPV can be passed in utero. See Finnish study on this. Instead of pushing the vaccine if they are so concerned about the presence of HPV they should be testing for that. Because apparently according to her if you have received the virus (i.e. in utero) and cleared it the vaccine will also be useless to you. There is no clarity on the effectiveness of this vaccine. Potentially it is absolutely useless to many who will take it. Also as is usual she ignores completely the data on the thousands of adverse reactions to the vaccine.

Jacqueline Dollard (26/02/2010 at 10:23)

This statement is repeated over and over again regarding this vaccine:

“The HPV vaccine protects against the two strains of HPV (16 and 18) that cause cervical cancer."

HPV 16 and 18 does not CAUSE cervical cancer if it did then everyone one who contracted it- 90% of the population would have cervical cancer- most people clear these types. It is the persistence of infection in the face of a comprimised immune system- that CAUSES dysplasia and eventually without screening cervical cancer. HPV is present and persistent in these cases because infection is persistent and it is not treated. "The FDA news release of March 31, 2003 acknowledges that "most infections (by HPV) are short-lived and not associated with cervical cancer", in recognition of the advances in medical science and technology since 1988. In other words, since 2003 the scientific staff of the FDA no longer considers HPV infection to be a high-risk disease when writing educational materials for the general public whereas the regulatory arm of the agency is still bound by the old classification scheme that had placed HPV test as a test to stratify risk for cervical cancer in regulating the industry.
In it, the FDA says, "The HPV DNA test is not intended to substitute for regular Pap screening. Nor is it intended to screen women under 30 who have normal Pap tests. Although the rate of HPV infection in this group is high, most infections are short-lived and not associated with cervical cancer." As the reclassification petition reveals, HPV infections are naturally self-limiting -- meaning that they are controlled naturally, without requiring intervention with drugs or vaccines. It is not the HPV virus itself that causes cervical cancer but rather a persistent state of ill-health on the part of the patient that makes her vulnerable to persistent infections. Based on new scientific information published in the past 15 years, it is now generally agreed that identifying and typing HPV infection does not bear a direct relationship to stratification of the risk for cervical cancer . Most acute infections caused by HPV are self-limiting...Repeated sequential transient HPV infections, even when caused by "high-risk" HPVs, are characteristically not associated with high risk of developing squamous intraepithelial lesions, a precursor of cervical cancer.
A woman found to be positive for the same strain (genotype) of HPV on repeated testing is highly likely suffering from a persistent HPV infection and is considered to be at high risk of developing precancerous intraepithelial lesions in the cervix . It is the persistent infection, not the virus, that determines the cancer risk." Dr. Mccann you are contributing to the fear mongering tactics of promoting this vaccine and using your daughter to boot. if you are truly concerned about the health of young women perhaps you should take seriously the thousands of adverse reactions associated with this vaccine. How many thousands of times does the same thing have to happen before it is no longer a coincidence? Why was Merck given an award for creating a "Market out of thin air" for the HPV vaccine? Cervarix is no different. This is about business not good health.

()

Report

Wellbeing