HPV Vaccine Gardasil linked to serious side effects, including seizures, paralysis, blindness, speech problems, short term memory loss, Guillain-Barré Syndrome and death

Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch, 202-646-5188

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2013 /Standard Newswire/ -- Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Obama Administration's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to obtain records related to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), a program that compensates patients who have been adversely affected by certain vaccines, including Gardasil, the vaccine for the sexually transmitted disease human papillomavirus (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (No. 1:13-cv-00197)).

Judicial Watch initiated an investigation of HPV vaccine Gardasil after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fast-tracked the vaccine through the approval process in 2006. Since 2007, Judicial Watch has uncovered government records documenting thousands of adverse reactions associated with the vaccine, including seizures, paralysis, blindness, pancreatitis, speech problems, short term memory loss, Guillain-Barré Syndrome and death.

Judicial Watch seeks the following records pursuant to its November 1, 2012 FOIA request filed with the Health Resources and Services Administration, a component of HHS:

1. Any and all records regarding, concerning, or related to the inclusion of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines as covered vaccines under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).
    
2. Any and all records depicting the number of claims filed under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) for injuries or deaths allegedly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.
    
3. Any and all records depicting the amount of compensation paid to claimants under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) pursuant to claims related to injuries or deaths allegedly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.

HHS acknowledged receipt of Judicial Watch's FOIA request on November 2, 2012. By law, HHS was required to respond no later than December 4, 2012. However, as of the date of Judicial Watch's lawsuit, the agency has failed to provide responsive documents, indicate when a response is forthcoming, or notify Judicial Watch why the records should be exempted from disclosure.

VICP is a Health and Human Services program that compensates patients who have been adversely affected by certain vaccines. The HHS web site describes the program as a "no-fault alternative to the traditional tort system," and it covers 16 specific classes of vaccines, including HPV vaccines which were added in 2007. The number of successful claims made under the VICP to victims of HPV will provide further information about any dangers of the vaccine, including the number of well-substantiated cases of adverse reactions.

According to the Annals of Medicine: "At present there are no significant data showing that either Gardasil or Cervarix (GlaxoSmithKline) can prevent any type of cervical cancer since the testing period employed was too short to evaluate long-term benefits of HPV vaccination."

"From the very beginning the federal government has attempted to shield the public from the truth about Gardasil. Despite safety concerns, the vaccine continues to be pushed for both girls and boys. For the supposed most transparent administration in history to stonewall on an urgent matter of public health is particularly galling," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

In addition to obtaining records from the FDA through the agency's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) which has documented thousands of adverse reactions to Gardasil, Judicial Watch also published a special report in 2008 detailing Gardasil's approval process, side effects, safety concerns and marketing practices.

Visit www.judicialwatch.org.