Lead researcher on Gardasil, Cervarix says vaccines hardly effective
October 29th, 2009 joshua
A lead researcher in the development of the two human papilloma vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, says each will do little to curb cervical cancer.
Both vaccines are touted as solutions to preventing certain types of cervical cancer, but Dr. Diane Harper, director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at University of Missouri, says each does little in that regard.
Harper also told the Fourth Annual Public Conference on Vaccination that Gardasil - despite being approved and encouraged for girls as young as nine and even for boys - has not undergone any clinical trials in that age group. She made her remarks at the beginning of October.
Gardasil was approved for public use in 2006 and has since become more than just an option, but to the point where some states nearly mandated it among its public school students.
Harper said that 70 percent of all HPV infections resolve themselves within the first year.
Recent reports have shown that orders for Gardasil have dropped considerably. Cervarix is a recently approved competitor to the vaccine.
