An experimental HPV vaccine is already creating familiar, frightening problems

At some point, vaccine makers realized… “There’s GOLD in them thar girls!”

The “gold” is human papillomavirus (HPV).

Gardasil is the first attempt to mine that gold. Imagine the billions of dollars Gardasil would produce every year if doctors gave the vaccine to every girl and boy entering middle school.

It would redefine the concept of “blockbuster.”

Just one problem. So far, parents have been reluctant. Only about 15 percent of eligible kids get the shot.

But there may be another way to turn HPV into gold.

They call it VGX-3100. I’m sure they’ll come up with a snappier name later on. For now, it’s an experimental vaccine. It boosts immune response in girls who are already HPV infected.

Interestingly — just like Gardasil — doctors give it in three separate doses. But there’s an extra twist. After each injection, the doctor administers an electrical jolt. It’s called “electroporation.” It’s supposed to help juice up the immune response.

Can you imagine? Here’s your vaccine. And now an electroshock. Okay! See you in a month for the next one!

Unbelievable.

Now, here’s the kicker…

So far, they’ve tested the vaccine on 18 girls. Among this small cohort, one girl had a seizure and one had a tension headache. But according to HealthDay News… “Researchers deemed them not related to the vaccine.”

Here’s where the shock fades: They’ve already learned the Gardasil technique for addressing side effects… Deny. Deny. Deny.

Sources:
“Experimental Vaccine Might Help Women Already Infected With HPV” Alan Mozes, HealthDay News, 10/10/12, healthday.com