Our tax dollars are paying for dangerous, ineffective vaccinations

Dollar Sign on Your Daughter

Of all the things our government wastes money on, put this in the list of Top Ten Infuriating Wastes (and even higher on the list of the most dangerous things they waste our hard-earned dollars on.)

Yes, the government is using your money and mine to inject young girls with Gardasil.

Gardasil is widely touted as a cervical cancer vaccine. Which it absolutely is not. It helps prevent four strains of human papillomavirus (HPV). But only two of those strains are responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancers. And less than two percent of women aged 14-24 develop those strains.

Of course, the marketers at Merck (the maker of Gardasil) can’t say their vaccine prevents cancer. But lucky for them, they don’t have to…because the mainstream media loves to portray Gardasil as a magic wand. Wave it and cervical cancer risk goes away.

This is why millions consider Gardasil a necessity. A very EXPENSIVE necessity. The vaccine is given in three separate shots at a total cost of nearly $400.

That price tag is daunting to any family, but for some it could be a month’s rent or a month’s income. And that’s where it gets Merck-y.

The federal government provides states with money for vaccines for children living in poverty. The states decide how to spread those funds around. But the way Merck’s been aggressively lobbying the states regarding Gardasil, you can bet it’s getting more than its fair share. So–bottom line–federal money (our tax dollars) are going straight to Merck in exchange for this unnecessary vaccine.

How much money? Hard to say.

A new survey shows that less than 75 percent of Gardasil vaccines are paid for through health insurance. So one in four are paid for either by federal funds, or out of pocket by families.

I don’t know how that 25% breaks down but I hate the idea of even one penny of my tax dollars injecting this risky vaccine into even one girl.

Start making sense

More important than the money, of course, is that parents need to know there’s a far better way to protect their daughters.

Last year I told you about a study that revealed genuine protection from cervical cancer. And it couldn’t be simpler. Test sexually active girls and women for HPV. If the test is positive, then immediately treat the HPV. Researchers estimate this practice could cut cervical cancer rates in HALF almost immediately.

And here’s the kicker: If your daughter gets the Gardasil vaccine, she still needs to be screened for HPV because the vaccine only reduces SOME of cervical cancer risk.

Today I’ve focused on the monetary madness of Gardasil. I’ve already told you about the HUGE problems with side effects, such as seizures and blood clots in “Stop Right There.” (By the way, the most recent info from the CDC puts the U.S. reports of death among females who have received Gardasil at 49.)

And if you haven’t seen my video about Gardasil, I hope you’ll take a quick look.

Most importantly, we need to keep working to get the word out, because even though interest in Gardasil has cooled, new research shows that about one-in-three young girls are getting vaccinated. That’s one-in-three too many.
To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Sources:
“A third of young girls get HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer” Press release, Washington University in St. Louis, 6/1/10, news.wustl.edu
“Geographic Disparity, Area Poverty, and Human Papillomavirus Vaccination” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Vol. 38, No. 5, May 2010, ajmp-online.net
“Reports of Health Concerns Following HPV Vaccination” Vaccine Safety, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3/10/10, cdc.gov