Blind Trust

We tend to trust our physicians. Most times, when they diagnose and prescribe for us we accept their advice without question. We assume that the medications they prescribe are safe. But things have begun to change as we hear horror stories relating to the serious side effects of certain drugs and vaccines. We are beginning to ask hard questions of our health care providers about the safety and effectiveness of the drugs they prescribe.

Not long ago, Merck & Co., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies worldwide issued the following statement about its Gardasil vaccine, "Gardasil is the only human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that helps protect against 4 types of HPV." However, a report issued by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting system states, "… as of January 2010, there were more than 17,000 reports of adverse reactions regarding this vaccine. Among them are 59 deaths, 18 of which were among girls under the age of 17."

The Facts?

Meantime, Merck has been pushing the vaccine to the public for several years, "In girls and young women ages 9 to 26, Gardasil helps protect against 2 types of HPV that cause about 75 percent of cervical cancer cases, and 2 more types that cause 90 percent of genital warts cases. [Gardasil] also helps protect against 70 percent of vaginal cancer cases."
It's hard to know whom to believe, but if it weren't difficult enough to figure it all out, Merck has decided to plug the vaccine for men now, too. In regard to the use of this vaccine in men, Merck says, " … in boys and young men ages 9 to 26, Gardasil helps protect against 90 percent of genital warts cases."

Merck seems to generate an unending chain of terrifying statistics which receive lots of airtime via television commercials. Hearing the ads, we fear that if we don't vaccinate our kids and ourselves with Gardasil, we'll get HPV, genital warts, and cervical cancer and it'll serve us right.

Healthy Lifestyle

Meantime, Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopath with a sterling reputation begs to differ, "Although there are 6 million cases of HPV each year, just 2 percent of the patients in a recent study were infected by the kinds of HPV that put them at high risk for developing cervical cancer. You need to be aware that if you eat right, exercise and keep stress in your life under control, your immune system is typically healthy enough to clear up the vast majority of HPV infections."  However, for those who do develop cervical cancer as a result of an HPV infection, the disease can be deadly.  Should you take the risk?

Be sure to research the pros and cons of all medicines and vaccines before deciding to take them and always seek advice from your doctor on what is best for your body and your lifestyle.

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