Japan Suspends Recommendation for HPV Vaccines for 12 - 16 Year Old Girls
14 June 2013: Merck’s Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline’s Cervarix took a hit as Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare told local governments to suspend their previous recommendation for HPV vaccine administration to the country’s 12 to 16 year old girls.
Mrs. Tomoko Saito, reporter for The Asahi Shimbun, emailed this front page news article to the SaneVax team the same day. According to the article, Health Ministry withdraws recommendation for cervical cancer vaccine:
Girls can still receive the vaccination for free, although medical institutions must now inform them beforehand that the ministry does not recommend it.
The Japanese government has subsidized the use of either Gardasil or Cervarix since 2010, but the HPV vaccines marketed to prevent cervical cancer did not come into widespread use until after revisions to Japan’s Preventive Vaccination Law took effect in April 2013. These changes also added pneumococcal vaccines and Japanese encephalitis vaccines to the country’s recommended schedule.
Side effect reports for each of the four newly approved vaccines are as follows:
Cervarix – 245.1 per 1 million vaccinations
Gardasil – 155.7 per 1 million vaccinations
Pneumococcal vaccines – 89.1 per million vaccinations
Japanese encephalitis vaccines – 67.4 per million vaccinations
After a special task force examined 43 cases of widespread pain after HPV vaccinations, the panel concluded that given the timing of symptoms they could not rule out a connection between the adverse events and HPV vaccines.
Because a direct cause and effect relationship could neither be established, nor ruled out, the task force concluded that their previous recommendation for administration of HPV vaccines should be withdrawn until appropriate information about the cause of the pain and numbness experienced by the girls can be determined and provided to the public.
Mariko Momoi, vice president of the International University of Health and Welfare and chairperson of the special task force stated:
It is necessary to gather information immediately to accurately grasp how often (these side effects) are occurring.
The task force concluded that:
…active recommendation of cervical cancer vaccinations should thus be halted until a more complete picture of their side effects can be attained.
This is the second time in the history of Japan’s vaccination program that a vaccine recommendation has been rescinded.
Mika Matsufuji’s daughter was vaccinated with Cervarix in 2011 and subsequently lost her ability to walk. She is now confined to a wheelchair. Mika represents an association of cervical cancer vaccination victims’ parents. Although this group wants to see HPV vaccinations halted, they see the health panel’s decision as a step in the right direction. Mrs. Matsufuji stated:
We welcome the decision not to recommend the vaccination even though it is a small step. Parents can decide whether their children should receive the vaccination or not.
The Sane Vax team would like to thank the health authorities in Japan for acting quickly and responsibly when a concern about HPV vaccine safety came to light. Health authorities around the globe could learn something from Japan’s demonstration of genuine concern for the health and well-being of their citizens.
References:
Health ministry withdraws recommendation for cervical cancer vaccine, The Asahi Shimbun
Gov’t cautions municipalities on cervical cancer vaccination, Kyodo News International
Cervix vaccine issues trigger health notice, The Japan Times
Linda, absolutely. Virus replacement was one of the problems that may potentially be an issue. We won't know the real consequences (fertility, cancer prevention etc. until quite a few more years). Yes, John, the cynic in me can see where you could be right.
Posted by: jen | June 20, 2013 at 08:20 PM
Jen,
I don't have much faith in the integrity of modern scientific research. But, even if it was true that the infection rate has decreased as claimed, this doesn't show what effect the HPV vaccines have on short and long term health, including on the development of cancer. A farmer can target and get rid of a specific pest by dousing his fields with pesticide, but there are known and unknown consequences. These myopic studies fail to consider the consequences of manipulating nature.
Mulling over the potential problems with HPV vax, I thought of how CFCs have poked a hole in the ozone layer as an example of unintended consequences of releasing a substance into the environment. I thought that these chemicals were outlawed decades ago. Looked it up and found I was wrong - even though scientists found that CFCs were damaging the ozone layer of our planet back in 1974, the chemicals are due to be phased out completely, I kid you not, by 2030 in developed countries and in 2040 in developing countries.
What does this have to do with HPV? Just shows how humans have a track record of being very stupid, destructive and reckless with nature, even when they fully understand the negative consequences of their actions.
Posted by: Linda | June 20, 2013 at 06:12 PM
My guess, however, is that they are playing games saying that they are just being cautious over comparatively minor events so as not to alarm people over the reality of many bad events while still pretending to act responsibly - why would they be any safer in Japan than anywhere else? An interesting strategy which I am not sure I've seen before.
Posted by: John Stone | June 20, 2013 at 04:54 PM
LInda, it will be very interesting to see that study. If it's like most of their other offerings it won't mean much. But, I am interested to see the full version.
Posted by: jen | June 20, 2013 at 11:03 AM
Perhaps the Japanese care about their children. And perhaps they care about not having to apologize. As I understand it public apologies are something that people who do bad things and are caught, have to do in Japan- and its not pleasant.
What will the Marie McCormicks of public health do? Hide behind their lawyer and claim that they never saw any negative data on autism and Thimerosal. And maybe they will die before they have to do that. Its clear that admissions regarding the cause of autism will not come any time soon. I believe that the best we can hope for in the near future is heightened awareness, and more parents using their own good sense.
Posted by: Cherry Sperlin Misra | June 20, 2013 at 01:02 AM
JUNE 14,2013: Health ministry (Japan) withdraws recommendation concerning HPV Vaccine
JUNE 15,2013: From ajw.asahi.com "Health ministry withdraws recommendation for cervical cancer vaccine"
JUNE 16,2013: From sanevax.org "Breaking News: Japan Suspends Recommendation of HPV Vaccines"
JUNE 17,2013: From ageofautism.com "Japan Suspends Recommendation for HPV Vaccines for 12 - 16 Year Old Girls"
Hmm??? I wonder how the media(United States) is reporting/ reacting to this information??? Gee, here's a story.
JUNE 19,2013: From huffingtonpost.com "HPV Vaccine Slashes Rate Of Infected Teen Girls"
QUESTION: What took them so long???
Posted by: Ron | June 19, 2013 at 07:55 PM
And the US media response just out:
"HPV infections fell by half in teen girls after vaccine, study shows"
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/hpv-infections-fell-half-teen-girls-after-vaccine-study-shows-6C10378279?ocid=msnhp&pos=1
How they can know that the HPV infection rate fell by half is beyond me. How many teenagers are tested for HPV?
Posted by: Linda | June 19, 2013 at 06:25 PM
This polysorbate/boric acid/aluminum vaccine is still heavily PROMOTED
in Canada,to up to 45 years old patients.We do not have long term data on this fast-tracked vaccine.This vaccine was only
approved in 2006,not checked for carcinogenecity or mutagenecity. Not to mention that the aluminum adjuvant is a
neuro-toxin and a mitochondrial toxin.Now the plan is to push this HPV-Gardasil vaccine through the schools with the help of the school-boards.I need to ask:
WHAT IS THE BIG HURRY??
Merck has a very poor record,but they are using their power
to aggressively push this vaccine to our 9-14 years olds.
A very SMART decision by the Japanese Health Ministry.The Canadian Health Ministry should do the same.This vaccine needs to be checked for neuro-toxicity and infertility!!!
I worried about the 9-14 years old their hormone system is
just developing at this tender age.The damage will not be known for another 10-20 years.
Posted by: oneVoice | June 18, 2013 at 03:24 PM
This news will never reach the Australian media.
Thank goodness I refused my daughter to get this vaccine through the "Conscientious Objection Form" a form that allows you a conscientious objection to refuse vaccines.
Well done Japan!
Elizabeth Gillespie
Posted by: AussieMum | June 18, 2013 at 12:37 AM
"Girls can still receive the vaccination for free, although medical institutions must now inform them beforehand that the ministry does not recommend it."
Oh I love good news!
This HPV deadly fraud is finally acknowledged by an "official" body. Where is our CDC? In bed with someone(s) no doubt.
http://healthyprotocols.com/2_vac_gardasil.htm
Posted by: Lou | June 17, 2013 at 11:24 PM
At last a government who acts honestly over vaccines .
Well done Japan , good for you .
If only we could say the same about the authorities in the UK - here they reward the guilty with knighthoods for crimes against the children - what kind of sick society is that ? The UK is a corrupt dirty little fiefdom with all the honour of a grubby back street heroin dealer .
Posted by: Fat Angry Hairy Man Dad 280lbs raging bull | June 17, 2013 at 04:48 PM
Terrific news .....cant wait to get this news to the powers that prevail in the UK ....and the BBC !
A victory ! at last !
Did you see this Salisbury ?
Posted by: Fat Angry Hairy Man Dad 280lbs raging bull | June 17, 2013 at 02:46 PM
YES!!
Posted by: Patricia | June 17, 2013 at 01:59 PM
This story was well-covered in the Japanese media, but has not been picked up by any of the Western mainstream media.
Posted by: JerseyGuy | June 17, 2013 at 01:41 PM
Don't they know that vaccines are beyond scientific debate?
Posted by: Carol | June 17, 2013 at 11:33 AM
Very interesting news! In quality of life survey rankings, Japan comes out tops in safety and second in terms of education. They obviously seem to care what happens to their young. Too many adverse events seems to have triggered a concern of children over business interests there, whereas in the US no one in power seems to give a toss about the kids. How sad for America.
Posted by: Jen | June 17, 2013 at 10:50 AM