Safety of Merck’s Gardasil in Question as Rhode Island Mandates HPV Vaccination for Children

By Carolanne Wright
Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

Associated with over 140 deaths and 29,918 vaccine reactions¹, Merck’s Gardasil is a highly controversial vaccine that’s been under fire for years, with many questions still unanswered as to its efficacy, safety and side-effects, marketing practices, and fast-tracked approval by the FDA.²

So it’s with great consternation that parents in Rhode Island, U.S. are faced with a mandatory Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination requirement for middle school children. Virginia and Washington D.C. both enacted a bill in 2007 that requires HPV vaccines for school attendance as well. At least 42 states and territories have initiated legislation to mandate the vaccine or to fund public educational campaigns about the HPV vaccine. However, this rash of enthusiasm for HPV vaccination from lawmakers is giving parents pause for thought, especially since the vaccine has a history of harmful side effects.³