Mika Matsufuji, second from right, and other members of the “Zenkoku Shikyukeigan Vaccine Higaisha Renrakukai” hold a news conference to explain possible side effects of a vaccination against cervical cancer in Tokyo on March 25. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Medical institutions in Japan must now inform women that their government no longer recommends the HPV vaccine.
The Japanese government has stopped supporting Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, due to parental fears of side effects. This is according to an article in the Asahi Shimbun published on June 15, 2013. (1)
As Medscape reported, “The Japanese government withdrew its recommendation to use human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines in girls last week, citing concerns from the public about adverse effects.”
The withdrawal of a government recommendation for the HPV vaccine is notable because “it is rare for the ministry to withdraw a recommendation for a vaccine that is used regularly by local governments and is spelled out in a law.” (1)
Mika Matsufuji is the head of a group of parents who say their children have suffered side effects from the vaccination. She said, “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.” (1)
“Unlike the American government which appears to give weight only to the opinions of the medical community, the Japanese government seems to respect, and listen to its citizen’s worries and fears. In America, parents’ concerns appear to be routinely dismissed, and those who criticize the HPV vaccines are painted as fringe lunatics. The Japanese seem to have a much more reasonable approach.” – Greg Bennett, CBCD
In Japan, “1,968 cases of possible side effects, including body pain, have been reported.”(1)
Because of these side effects, the Japanese Health Ministry set up a taskforce to investigate a cause-and-effect relationship between Gardasil and these adverse events. “The focus of the Japanese inquiry is not on injection-site reactions; instead, it is on systemic (affecting the whole body) reactions.” (2)
References:
(1) The Asahi Shimbun – “Health ministry withdraws recommendation for cervical cancer vaccine” – Published June 15, 2013