Vaccine is against virus — not cervical cancer

YOUR report headlined ‘Cervical cancer vaccine delay a betrayal of 30,000 girls’ (February 17) contained a number of incorrect statements which need to be put right in the interest of those 30,000 young girls and their parents.

Vaccine is against virus — not cervical cancer

The report states that the vaccine is a cervical cancer vaccine.

It also stated that the vaccine “protects against the strains of the human papilloma virus which cause 70% of cervical cancers.

It is wrong on both counts. Firstly the vaccine in question is not a cervical cancer vaccine. It is a vaccine against a sexually transmitted disease called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). HPV is not cervical cancer.

Secondly, there are more than 100 known strains of HPV, many of which are harmless.

However, many are high-risk strains — at least 18, though many claim the number is much higher — and the HPV vaccine claims to protect against just two of these strains.

It offers no protection whatsoever against all the strains as your report implied. Therefore the report could be seen as giving false medical information, thus dangerously misleading the public. These 30,000 young girls and their parents have a right to know the full facts before they consent to or refuse this vaccine.

They need to know that thousands of serious adverse reactions — including deaths — are currently under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration in USA.

They also need to know that the vaccine may even cause cervical cancer in specific cases, that the best way to prevent high-risk HPV from developing into cervical cancer is by monitoring the virus via a pap test. Injecting young girls bodies with toxic chemicals is not in the best interests of children as it will damage their fragile immune systems and make them less able to fight off other illnesses.

It’s time for a radical rethink about the culture of sexual promiscuity which is putting all our children at risk of disease and death.

It is time for change.

Nora Bennis

Revington Park

North Circular Road

Limerick

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