When you discover someone you trusted has lied to you, it's rare to find out the actual extent of the lie. But you apply logic to the truth, and learn an important lesson about whether or not you can continue to trust them. If they respond to you with full disclosure, perhaps trust can be rebuilt, but if they are evasive and try to rewrite history to support their lies, the damage can be irreversible.

On July 15, 2006, a letter was sent to federal Health Minister, Tony Clement, regarding Health Canada's approval of the "cancer vaccine", Gardasil, which targets two strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Besides some concerns about the clinical trials and fast-tracking of the drug, the main question posited to Mr. Clement was how they were going to ensure 9-year-old girls were HPV-free before given this [very expensive and lucrative] new vaccine.

Merck, the FDA, and Health Canada have suggested the vaccine be given in an initial sweep of all females between the ages of 9-26 years old. If, however, an existing case of HPV can cause the vaccine to increase the girl's risk of cervical cancer, our system has a responsibility to ensure all patients are HPV-free before receiving the vaccination. The only test for this is through a pap smear or other invasive measures. And the patient in this case will often be a nine-year-old girl. You see the problem, nine-year-old virgins, pap smears…

However, in a letter received just this week from Health Canada's Chief of Staff, William Kin, I was assured of the position of the Canadian government on the matter.

Okay, so what they're doing is avoiding the issue of testing women and girls altogether by saying it's not necessary at all, by simply erasing any mention of the early results of the clinical tests as reported by the CBC in August. On the office Gardasil web site, in the list of disclaimers which makes up the majority of content on each page, there is not a word about an increased risk of cancer if there is a pre-existing HPV infection. This is a shocking omission.

Also shocking is the new assertion that these strains of HPV can only be contracted through genital contact. Six months ago one would routinely find the warning that HPV can be spread, though rarely, through immediate use of other people's towels, toilet seats, and other opportunities for genital contact, but since the release of Gardasil these same sites claim there is no scientific evidence to that effect. Certainly those most intimately involved with the diagnosis and treatment of HPV have observed differently.

Furthermore, there have been some serious concerns about how Merck conducted its clinical trials, from having a non-saline placebo group, to only testing for five years before releasing this drug, to over blowing the seriousness of HPV and Gardasil's overall contribution to fighting cancer in women.

Let's recap for a moment. So far we've learned that Gardasil could increase your risk of cancer if you already have HPV. We've learned that despite it not being common, people do contract HPV with no explanation, including children. We've learned the only way to ensure one does not have a pre-existing infection is to have a vaginal examination. We have learned there could be other complications with the vaccine that have not been satisfactorily tested. We have learned that despite this, Merck and the branches of our governments who have approved this vaccine have fast-tracked their clinical trials, not provided disclosure to watchdog groups, twisted the truth to suit their needs, and begun a marketing campaign geared at pre-pubescent girls and terrified parents.

Well, HPV must be pretty serious stuff, then! Serious enough that you could risk the chance that your daughter probably hasn't been exposed to HPV, and that between the ages of nine and her first sexual experiences (and pap smear) she could… wait a minute, they said it's only passed on sexually and… well, either way, you don't want to get HPV, it's basically a death sentence, right?

You want to know what's serious stuff? $360 times every girl in North America between the ages of 9 and 26 is serious stuff. That's how much this vaccine costs, whether covered by the individual or an insurance company. What's going to happen to Merck, or the FDA, or Health Canada, anyway? Do you think 30 years from now when there's a spike in cervical cancer anyone will be able to prove it was the fault of Gardasil? Of course not. Even if you could prove it, it would be a new generation of executives, apologies would be made, perhaps some settlement given.

Merck started lying about Gardasil the day they decided to market it as a "cancer vaccine". Their trial results are full of holes and inspire further questions. The information they present to the public is seriously biased in their favour. People seem content to believe whatever Big Pharma tells them, and in this case (like so many others), the victims will be our children. Though with Gardasil, it's still happening and we still have a chance to make a difference before too many people are exposed.

What is very disheartening is the lack of other voices protesting Gardasil. Merck tried to slip it right past us - after all, who is going to protest a cancer vaccine! But in this case, if you've learned nothing else, at least wait until your daughter is old enough for a pap smear before considering giving her this vaccination.

And remember, this is just a top-level inquiry into one drug. A similar article could be written on any of the other numbers of pharmaceuticals being peddled around like magic elixirs. Science is a wonderful thing, but don't let them blind you with it for the sake of a few billion dollars profit.

- R.K. Finch

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