Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

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  1. that 300 figure, here are the facts from the CDC’s Vaccine  Adverse Event Reporting System:

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    Deaths

    As of June 1, 2009, there have been 43 U.S. reports of death among females who have received the vaccine. Twenty six of these reports have been confirmed, 9 are still under investigation, and 8 remain unconfirmed due to no identifiable patient information in the report such as a name and contact information to confirm the report. Confirmed reports are those that scientists have followed up on and have verified the claim. In the 26 reports confirmed, there was no unusual pattern or clustering to the deaths that would suggest that they were caused by the vaccine.

    • I had heard a while back that there were concerns about Guardisil, but maybe your blockquote above was the extent of it.

      • conservatives opposed the vaccine from the start.  They impeded its progress through its FDA trials and vigorously opposed it when it was added to the immunization schedule.  Rumors and misinformation were rife.

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        p>If there are questions about the safety or efficacy of Gardasil as more girls and adolescents are immunized, the vaccine will undergo clinical assessment in the context of other vaccine events as reported to the CDC’s VAERS.  For example, as the first cohorts recipients of Varivax for chicken pox and Comvax/PedvaxHIB for hemophilus-B aged, it appeared boosters were indicated and changes were made to the recommended schedule.  

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        p>The American Academy of Pediatrics includes Gardasil for females in its recommended immunization schedule for ages 7 through 18.

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        • is wrong like most generalizations.  Unless you’re suddenly considering Rick Perry something besides a right-winger.  

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          p>That was an executive order, by the way.  Not an act of his state lege.  Him.

          • Did I say all right-wingers in monolithic lockstep?  No.  I didn’t.  One Republican governor was rational (if not a bit paternalistic) on the subject.  There were others, as well.  

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            p>You have a habit of arguing the margins.  Rick Perry’s response to the longstanding, nasty Gardasil debate is an anomaly, and he paid a price for it.  For you to suggest that conservative political and religious groups did not vociferously oppose Gardasil’s addition to the recommended immunization schedule is stunning–and factually inaccurate. Indeed, the fact that Rick Perry’s support caused such a furor should clue you in to the fallacy of your assertion.  I wonder if your intentions here are simply reflexive or if your are merely ignorant on the subject.  The former is predictable; the latter is correctable.

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            p>I’ll go toe-to-toe with you on immunology, epidemiology, and virology, JoeTS, anytime. I have a lot of years of experience in these areas.  If you choose to discuss these issues, at least try to do so from an informed and factual perspective.  If you don’t know something, do some research or ask a question.  I certainly don’t have the interest or time to provide you with a boatload of Google links on something that is, actually, common knowledge. So be a big boy and take ownership of your own education.  But please be informed and constructive.  That way we won’t waste anybody’s time–including our own.

  2. I think this is the link your wife saw.

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    p>The name of the vaccine is G-A-R-D-I-S-I-L. You didn’t find the link because you searched for the wrong term.

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    p>The “300 deaths” is fiction.

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    p>Even the story is ridiculous. Of course we are talking about risks, we should be talking about risks with every medication, including Gardasil.

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    p>Gardasil protects against Cervical Cancer.

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    p>We should be comparing the risks of not taking Gardasil to the risks of taking it. Cervical cancer kills. I’ll let one of our statistical mavens (stomv?) locate and publish the current risk of contracting cervical cancer for a 13 year old girl without Gardasil.

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    p>From this link, one case of cervical cancer is prevented for each 18.5 women vaccinated.

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    p>According to this story, the risk of “serious side effects” is 1 in 1,000,000.

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    p>This one is a no-brainer, and the “controversy” is more media and right-wing bullshit.

  3. because the best methods for protecting against cervical cancer are regular screenings and using protection during intercourse.  Gardisil and other vaccines do not protect against all forms of cervical cancer, thus these screenings and the use of protection remain vital and no vaccine is a substitute for them.  Thus what makes a vaccine necessary?

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