Merck has denied that its Gardasil vaccine had anything to do with the 7802 side effect reports made to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), all but calling those reports coincidences.
So far, the CDC has not been able to determine if any of these reactions were caused by Gardasil, but the concerns are expected to take a toll on sales of the vaccine. Already, several drug industry analysts have downgraded Gardasil sales forecasts, a development that was followed by drop in the price of Merck stock.
On Tuesday, Merck issued a statement saying it had analyzed relevant data relating to the reported side effects. The company concluded the reported events could be seen in the general population, even in the absence of vaccination. The statement said Merck is still “confident in the safety profile of Gardasil”.
Both the CDC and Merck said they will continue to study the Gardasil side effect reports. Still Merck is standing by Gardasil, and the CDC has not changed its recommendation that young girls be given this questionable drug.