Concerning the supposed effectiveness of Gardasil

[mhatrw]

http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/EPAR_-_Assessment_Report_-_Variation/human/000703/WC500021143.pdf



http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/latestnews/Cervical-cancer-jabs-cast-into.5251796.jp

Germany's Robert Koch Institute, which makes recommendations on the public funding of vaccines, is reviewing its programme after 13 experts called for a reassessment of its HPV vaccination programme and an end to "misleading information" about the effectiveness of the jab.

The HPV vaccine is said to be effective in preventing the two strains of the virus that cause 70 per cent of cervical cancer cases, and scientists have assumed this means the vaccine can prevent 70 per cent of cases of cervical cancer. But the German experts said the assumptions simply did not stand up to scrutiny, and that women remained at risk from other strains of the virus.

Studies of one vaccine brand, Gardasil, estimated it reduced the rate of pre-cancerous cells by only between 17 and 45 per cent. The scientists also warned that detailed data on Cervarix, which is the vaccine used in Scotland, was not being made available by its manufacturer.

Dr Ansgar Gerhardus, a public health expert from the University of Bielefeld in Germany, said: "The results of the studies clearly contradict many overly optimistic pronouncements. Women are entitled to be adequately informed."

The letter in full:

http://www.charite.de/doeren-frauengesundheit/pdf/HPV_statement_German%20scientists_2008.pdf

more here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x20259

[mhatrw]

1. Gardasil's efficacy in women 24-45

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip/downloads/mtg-slides-feb10/02-2-hpv.pdf



So for the worst dysplasias, the ones that indicate a high risk of subsequent cervical cancer, the final count was 23 for Garadsil vs. 27 for the placebo!

Wow! That's an "efficacy" of 14.8%!

Note that Merck did not release the efficacy statistics of Gardasil against all HPV disease, but just that associated with HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18. Gardasil's efficacy against all HPV-related complications is undoubtedly far less.

[trotsky]

2. Guess what?

This is why the vaccine is primarily meant for girls and women who haven't become sexually active yet.

The fact that the vaccine also even modestly helps women who have already potentially been exposed to HPV is awesome.

On page 20 of the PDF (which you for some reason ignored), it points out how Gardasil showed 97.4% efficacy against Pap diagnoses of the 4 main strains! THIS IS TERRIFIC!

From the "Summary and Conclusions" page:

Summary and Conclusions
• Women aged 24 to 45 are susceptible to HPV 6/11/16/18 infection and disease
• Women aged 24 to 45 are at continued risk for acquiring infection and disease lesions from these HPV types
• Gardasil is highly efficacious against HPV 6/11/16/18-related persistent infection, CIN or EGL in adult women negative to the relevant HPV type (Efficacy supported by significant efficacy for the primary endpoint in the intention-to-treat population analyses)
• GARDASIL is generally safe and well tolerated in women aged 24 to 45 years old

THANKS FOR PROMOTING THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT GARDASIL, mhatrw! You are doing a great job!
:toast: :yourock: :applause: :fistbump:

:rofl:

[mhatrw]

6. Gardasil was only 33.8% effective in the group it is recommended for.

And it's "efficacy" had no clinical significance when it comes to offering protection against actual precursors to cervical cancer in the 24 to 45-year-old cohort.

Dr Ansgar Gerhardus, a public health expert from the University of Bielefeld in Germany, said: "The results of the studies clearly contradict many overly optimistic pronouncements. Women are entitled to be adequately informed."

[trotsky]

7. 97.4% efficacy

In the very document YOU linked to.

Thanks for promoting Gardasil! :thumbsup:

[trotsky]

3. Another kick for this awesome pro-Gardasil thread!

Thanks for sharing the good news!

[uppityperson]

4. You forgot

to use the big sized font as it makes everything look so much more impressive

[trotsky]

5. Aw crap.

And I forgot to include giant silly graphics that have nothing to do with Gardasil or vaccine effectiveness.

[mhatrw]

8. The "graphics" are simply snapshots of scientific PDFs.

:eyes:

[trotsky]

9. That have nothing to do with Gardasil or its effectiveness.

:eyes: indeed.

But thanks once again for the helpful thread promoting Gardasil! I am glad you are on the side of this important life-saving vaccine!