jimijams
22-05-2007, 08:31 AM
Vaccine is safe, says creator
Reko Rennie
May 22, 2007 - 2:44PM
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/739/gardasilnarrowweb300x37mr7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
A student receives her Gardarsil immunisation in this file shot.
Five Victorian schoolgirls have reportedly fallen ill after their jabs.
Photo: Kitty Hill
Leading immunologist and Gardasil creator Ian Frazer says a cervical cancer vaccine is safe, despite five Victorian schoolgirls falling ill after they were immunised.
A Department of Health spokesman confirmed that up to five schoolgirls at Sacred Heart Girls' College in Oakleigh were taken ill after receiving an injection of Gardasil, a new cancer-preventing vaccine.
The immunisation protects against human papillomavirus, a sexually-transmitted infection which, if undetected, can lead to cervical cancer.
Gardasil was approved for use in Australia in June last year and is being rolled out in school vaccination programs around the country.
"They may have felt ill and dizziness soon after the immunisation, and in vaccinations such as this, these aren't unusual reactions," the spokesman told theage.com.au.
"We're not aware of a problem with this particular vaccine."
He said one child was being monitored but it was not clear whether her "ongoing issues" were due to the vaccination.
University of Queensland immunologist and co-creator of Gardasil, Professor Ian Frazer, said he doubted the girl's symptoms were caused by the vaccination.
"It doesn't sound like there's a plausible connection between the vaccination and what the girl described," he said.
"I don't know of any physiological or pathological connection that could produce that result."
The school's principal, Christopher Dalton, said 26 girls visited the college sick bay after the vaccination and five students were subsequently taken to Monash Medical Centre.
Professor Frazer said there was no reason to be concerned and it was common for young women to faint after receiving injections.
"It's not what's in the injection, it's the injection process itself and it's entirely avoidable just by having young girls lie down for a minute or two," he said.
"I would reassure people that yes, fainting can occur, but it's avoidable and it most commonly occurs in group vaccinations.
"It's not a phenomenon that goes with Gardasil, it's a phenomenon that goes with injections in general."
The health department spokesman said that when the vaccines were administered on May 7, "four or five girls were transported to hospital, but two were kept in overnight in observation and were allowed to go home the next day because they were OK".
"The overriding thing here is we've got a vaccine that is a cancer-preventing vaccine," he said. "I mean, that's got to be a good thing."
Mr Dalton, the principal, said the students' parents were notified and accompanied their daughters to hospital.
He said a further vaccination program is scheduled for June.
"The college is confident that this program of vaccination is safe to offer to students," he said. "We will be working with the Department of Human Services Victoria and the City of Monash Immunisation Services in the planning of this vaccination program."
Mr Dalton said parental permission is always sought for students receiving vaccinations.
theage.com.au
Reko Rennie
May 22, 2007 - 2:44PM
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/739/gardasilnarrowweb300x37mr7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
A student receives her Gardarsil immunisation in this file shot.
Five Victorian schoolgirls have reportedly fallen ill after their jabs.
Photo: Kitty Hill
Leading immunologist and Gardasil creator Ian Frazer says a cervical cancer vaccine is safe, despite five Victorian schoolgirls falling ill after they were immunised.
A Department of Health spokesman confirmed that up to five schoolgirls at Sacred Heart Girls' College in Oakleigh were taken ill after receiving an injection of Gardasil, a new cancer-preventing vaccine.
The immunisation protects against human papillomavirus, a sexually-transmitted infection which, if undetected, can lead to cervical cancer.
Gardasil was approved for use in Australia in June last year and is being rolled out in school vaccination programs around the country.
"They may have felt ill and dizziness soon after the immunisation, and in vaccinations such as this, these aren't unusual reactions," the spokesman told theage.com.au.
"We're not aware of a problem with this particular vaccine."
He said one child was being monitored but it was not clear whether her "ongoing issues" were due to the vaccination.
University of Queensland immunologist and co-creator of Gardasil, Professor Ian Frazer, said he doubted the girl's symptoms were caused by the vaccination.
"It doesn't sound like there's a plausible connection between the vaccination and what the girl described," he said.
"I don't know of any physiological or pathological connection that could produce that result."
The school's principal, Christopher Dalton, said 26 girls visited the college sick bay after the vaccination and five students were subsequently taken to Monash Medical Centre.
Professor Frazer said there was no reason to be concerned and it was common for young women to faint after receiving injections.
"It's not what's in the injection, it's the injection process itself and it's entirely avoidable just by having young girls lie down for a minute or two," he said.
"I would reassure people that yes, fainting can occur, but it's avoidable and it most commonly occurs in group vaccinations.
"It's not a phenomenon that goes with Gardasil, it's a phenomenon that goes with injections in general."
The health department spokesman said that when the vaccines were administered on May 7, "four or five girls were transported to hospital, but two were kept in overnight in observation and were allowed to go home the next day because they were OK".
"The overriding thing here is we've got a vaccine that is a cancer-preventing vaccine," he said. "I mean, that's got to be a good thing."
Mr Dalton, the principal, said the students' parents were notified and accompanied their daughters to hospital.
He said a further vaccination program is scheduled for June.
"The college is confident that this program of vaccination is safe to offer to students," he said. "We will be working with the Department of Human Services Victoria and the City of Monash Immunisation Services in the planning of this vaccination program."
Mr Dalton said parental permission is always sought for students receiving vaccinations.
theage.com.au