Gardasil Concerns and Recommendations for Acupuncturist

My main concern with Gardasil is that it hasn't been on the market long enough for them to even know how long the shot is effective for. Some estimates are 7-8 years, others 10-12. Without knowing for sure, I think it is too risky. What else don't they know about it because they pushed it onto the market too fast? If you give it to your daughter now, there is a good chance that by the time she is sexually active, it will have worn off, and if she doesn't remember to get a booster then she will think she's protected when she isn't. For this particular shot, I will be waiting until they can give me some straight answers. I don't want my daughter to be an involuntary guinea pig. However, if you have reason to believe your daughter is sexually active, then you are in a different situation. Aside from getting the shot, I believe some couseling would be in order, given her tender age.

M.,

I had my daughter get the the Gardasil shot(s) almost two years ago and she had absolutely no side effect from them. Talk to your dr about what is in the shots and could cause a reaction. She had never shown any kind of allergy to anything so I wasn't worried. It has been long enough that if there were any major problems with the vaccine, it would have come up by now.

Meissa,

My doctor, David Kim, does accupuncture. He's a regular MD, who is also an accupuncturist. He's in the professional building connected to Spring Valley Hospital at Rainbow and Hacienda.

A.

Dear M.:

After several weeks of research on the Gardasil vaccine, I was firmly convinced NOT to give it to my daughter. It was not an easy decision because there are layers of questions, not just one. Has it been properly tested? Will my child be a guinea pig? Is it effective? What does it effectively prevent? Assuming it's effective, how long will it protect? Does it have side effects? How adverse are these side effects? Finally, are the side effects worth the benefits? It's the type of decision that has to made after reading ALL of the information out there because there is really no unbiased source. I looked up the studies, the ads, the manufacturer's info, the sites where those with adverse reactions had talked about their experiences, raw data, doctor's opinions, etc. I interviewed doctors and patients. I read it ALL and digested all that information and made my choice which I hold very firmly. You'd have to do the same to see what YOU feel the data supports.

Short answer? I'd recommend SKIPPING the Gardasil vaccine.

Best wishes,

M.