HPV Vaccine Incentive Payments Need to Stop
By Josh Mazer, Guest Contributor for Eye on Annapolis
[CHD Note: Eye on Annapolis and Maryland Crabs podcast are sister publications that strive to be Maryland's "go to" source for news, events, entertainment, and opinion in the Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and Chesapeake Bay region.]
Merck’s Gardasil vaccine is too controversial to be trusted as the public-health solution for HPV. While the medical literature is full of claims and counterclaims about the health effects, 6% of kids who take the shot will receive “no therapeutic benefit”, and those who have undetected HPV infections are 45% more likely to develop cervical lesions. The American Association for Cancer Research reported in 2015 that vaccinated girls had a higher prevalence (70.7%) of HPVs than unvaccinated girls (56.1%).
Despite these facts, during a “HPV symposium” attended by state pediatric practices and Maryland Department of Health staffers, the featured speaker encouraged attendees to offer free dinners, bottles of wine, and sales bonuses to get Maryland physicians on board with the HPV vaccine-pushing program.
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