"Through an article in Forbes http I saw that a new study has been published about the safety of Gardasil a vaccine for prevention of certain strains of human papillomavirus or HPV.  HPV is a virus that can lead to genital warts many types of cancer and cervical cancer in women which kills  women every year in the U.S. alone.  The Gardasil vaccine on the other hand caused some people to faint after getting it and others got mild skin infectionsboth of which occur somewhat rarely with other vaccines too as you might expect.  Which sounds worse to you  The study published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal httpjournals.lww.compidjAbstractpublishaheadAn_Overview_of_Quadrivalent_Human_Papillomavirus..aspx looked at the published data about effects from the vaccine and found that it has a favorable safety profile. This study comes after many other http_astronomyhow_safe_is_gardasil_and_a_new_antivax_faq.html previous studies that show http essentially the same thing. There is no correlation between getting the Gardasil vaccine and seriously adverse effects such as autoimmune diseases including GuillainBarre Syndrome and multiple sclerosis anaphylaxis venous thromboembolism and stroke.  Mind you all these things and more http_astronomymainstream_scaremongering_over_gardasil.html have been used by people who attack vaccines as an argument against it. And just like essentially every claim made by the antivaccination movement these arguments are wrong.  That doesnt stop them from making them or from them getting attention by mainstream media http_astronomyanti_vaccine_katie_couric_program_gives_false_balance_to_dangerous_quackery.html attention they most assuredly do not deserve http_astronomygardasil_and_katie_couric_talk_show_host_apologizes_but_the_damage_is_done.html.  Its very frustrating mounds of data show these vaccinations are incredibly lowrisk but it only takes a little bit of doubt and fear to make vaccine rates drop. For example a young girl died tragically not long after getting the vaccine and it got a lot of press but it was later found that she died of a completely unrelated cause http_astronomygirl_dies_shortly_after_vaccine_shot.html. This sadly is expected more than  million doses of Gardasil have been given worldwide and given that huge number its a statistical certainty that some young people will die not long after getting them. But as the saying goes correlation is not causation. The vaccines are not to blame here.  Even more frustrating about this vaccine is that its being fought by an unusual group of people http_astronomyvaccines_on_the_left_vaccines_on_the_right.html while most antivax leanings are not affiliated with any particular political persuasion Gardasil gets attacked additionally by conservatives who think that girls getting it will become more promiscuous because HPV is a sexually transmitted disease.  However this has been shown to be false httppediatrics.aappublications.orgcontentearlypeds..abstract. Worse these same people tend to promote abstinenceonly education which has been shown conclusively http_astronomyjust_say_no_to_just_say_no.html to be the worst possible sex education kids taught his way tend to have more pregnancies and more STIs httpamericanaffairs.suite.comarticle.cfmhigh_std_rates_abstinence_ed_link than ones who are taught progressive healthy sex ed.  Its like Bizarro world where everything is backward. All the evidence shows Gardasil to be safe and to be effective against a virus that causes horrific illnesses. It also shows that the claims made by antivaxxers are wrong and that people fighting the vaccine because of their own sexual biases are making things far worse.  And yet they dig in. They insist real science is wrong that their anecdotes are better that the entire medical industry is on the take which is silly beyond reason http_astronomyjim_carrey_anti_vax_is_as_anti_vax_does.html.  But thats where we are. When it comes to health issues especially ones tied to sexuality reason goes out the window and emotions take over.  Thats why I am very very clear about this I and my family are all up to date with our vaccinations and my daughter has had all three stages of the Gardasil vaccine wed have done that if she had been a boy http too. As a parent as someone who knows and loves someone with an autoimmune disorder and as a person who knows just how truly awful so many diseases are and how easily and safely they can be prevented I am a strong advocate for vaccinations.  Its your body but it affects literally everyone around you. Dont listen to the antivaxxers who just want to scare you. Get the facts. And please talk to your boardcertified doctor and find out if there are any vaccinations you need.  How many lives will you save when you do"