Photo by a concerned Penangite
A concerned Penangite spotted this banner at a private clinic along Burma Road, openly advertising a vaccine against “women’s cancer”. She called up the clinic and was told the vaccine would be delivered in three doses over a six-month period, RM250 each dose, total RM750. The vaccine is Gardasil (supposed to be a cervical cancer vaccine) and girls as young as nine could receive the vaccine, said the person at the other end of the line.
This Penangite wants to know what the position of the Health Ministry, the Malaysian Medical Council and the Malaysian Medical Association is on such vaccines, especially in the light of concerns and warnings expressed about Gardasil in the United States and Australia.
Check out the folowing reports:
FDA Strengthens Warnings on Gardasil
By JENNIFER CORBETT DOOREN
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday strengthened warnings on Merck & Co.’s Gardasil vaccine about fainting after receiving reports of “traumatic injuries” among some vaccine recipients. Full Wall Street Journal report here.
No related posts.
Just make sure the teenage girl don’t take other vaccine at the same time. The vaccine is safe. HPV vaccine is a safe vaccine confirmed by various studies in medical field. Don;t try to mislead the public by pretending you are the expert.
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In UK, the gov give ALL the girl these free vaccination on top of their PAP smear program
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All this famous in Malaysia. Even Ah Longs advertise freely. Every corner you go, you can find posters advertising ubat buat konek besar dan kuat.
They have even gone one step further and pasting such stickers and posters on individuals front gate. I got a shock one day to come home to see on the pillar of my gate someone pasted about an ubat to make my sex organ long and big.
It took me quite sometime to remove the sticker as the glue was super strong. Even after removing it, the marks are still there.
A few days later, an Ah Long pasted a sticker on my postbox. It was so difficult to remove the sticker.
Why do I have to suffer with all this? Why isn’t the MPSJ protecting my rights?
Authorities don’t do anything at all. Every year, so many people get cheated and even die but authorities are not bothered.
Authorities are more concerned about politics.
Police, Town Councils and the MMA should look into this. MMA cleaver to put up laws on doctors and clinics but on all these ubat buat konek besar posters, they don’t do anything.
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The banner has been there the past 2 years Anil. I have seen it everytime I walk pass by the bungalow from Adbentist Hospital to the Pulau Tikus coffeeshop for my breakfast after my blood test at Adventist (have to fast overnight!) he he!
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Like to know MMA and MMC position on this.
1. Is this type of advertising allowed
2. If indeed this is a wonder vaccine, why doesnt the MOH do this just like the UK as commented by 2nd class
3. If there are side effects, what is the policy on this. Is MOH supposed to send out caution notices to all registered medical practitioneers, is this type of cautions even being practiced in Malaysia. What is the responsibility of the medical practitioner to the patient.
2nd class – whats bugging you, is this directly affecting you?? I suggest you relook at your idea of patronising the public too much, we are more aware now and would like to be more aware and hope that more of these type of issues are brought up in public domain so that we can all learn more and correct if there is anything going on which may be wrong.
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Is there a vaccine against lung cancer?
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Those who claim to sell ethical drugs have in the past hidden medical facts from the FDA and the public. Merck did not disclose all the info with Vioxx, then the side-effects/contraindications surface and the drug pulled out of the market.
Most injection, certainly vaccines have even more side-effects, ranging from mild, transient symptoms which do go away eventually to moderate and severe. Some life-saving drugs also present the same profile. The most important thing is to disclose all the evidence for and against it. Then the benefit vs side-effect profile can be analysed objectively. From my experience, there are usually patterns that one can see from the usage of most drugs if the trials are conducted long enough and both qualitative and quantitative data collected. However, the time to commercialisation was shortened some 15 years ago as most drugs companies feel that the cost of clinical trials are too high and they need to make their buck as quickly as possible.
The companies shouldn’t be so greedy and try to sell their drugs as a cure for everyone (for that particular disease). We are all different, some drugs do work better in some patients than others. If they can pin-point that from the trials, they should recommend it for that sub-group only, and not try to push it for the rest. For example, if a particular lipid lowering drug shows better results in fat patients, they should recommend it for that group, but may not work as effectively for the thin ones. Likewise, some patients who have other pre-condition may suffer worse side-effects from the same drugs. This is where the companies usually fail to inform the drs. And patients. The anti-diabetes drug Rosiglitazone is an example. The company didn’t highlight about the contraindications in patients with heart failure and that the drug may cause bone thinning. It was usually mentioned in passing a comment, and not discussed, which it should be. All the data were presented positively in lavish meetings and the side-effects downplayed. We see the problem accumulating after many patients have been put on the drug.
The drug control authorities have to question the drug companies on all these before approving it. If the drug companies care to highlight how frequent and what the side-effects are, perhaps the drug can be avoided in a sub-group of patients or measures put in place to overcome the side-effects more quickily. Some mild symptoms like nausea or even rashes can go away if the drug is stopped for a few days and then re-started. We shouldn’t deprive patients who need these drugs, but better measures to overcome them must be put in place.
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http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/ucm111280.htm
Page Last Updated: 04/30/2009
QUOTE
Based on the review of available information by FDA and CDC, Gardasil continues to be safe and effective, and its benefits continue to outweigh its risks.
CDC has not changed its recommendations for use of Gardasil. FDA has not made any changes to the prescribing information for how the vaccine is used or to the vaccine’s Precautions. In addition, FDA routinely reviews manufacturing information, and has not identified any issues affecting the safety, purity and potency of Gardasil.
http://www.tga.gov.au/alerts/medicines/gardasil.htm
Updated 5 May 2009
QUOTE
No deaths occurring after Gardasil have been reported in Australia and no deaths directly linked to the vaccine have been reported in the USA or Europe.
i dont think much of the FACTS are going to change in just a month time from where they are last updated
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Hi Anil, can you please also warn the public about the Live Blood Analysis scam being run by quack doctors and sinsehs in Malaysia. From wikipedia:
“Live blood analysis (LBA), sometimes called live cell analysis, is a process in alternative medicine which involves high-resolution observation of live blood cells using dark field microscopy. The procedure consists of taking a drop of blood from the patient’s fingertip, putting on a glass slide, and viewing it via a microscope on a video screen.
Live blood analysis is an unestablished diagnostic test promoted by some alternative medicine practitioners, who assert that it can diagnose a range of diseases. There is no scientific evidence that live blood analysis can detect any disease state, and it has been described by medical authorities as a fraudulent means of convincing a patient that they are ill and require treatment with dietary supplements.”
I was shocked to find this practice widespread in the Klang Valley, especially amongst so called “alternative” medicine and health spa practitioners.
Anil, pls warn the public about this Live Blood Analysis scam. Innocent people are being cheated of their money by unscrupulous conmen. What does the Ministry of Health has to say about this Live Blood Analysis scam?
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As someone who’s directly involved in the work on vaccine development, I believe there are values in a cervical cancer vaccine. The vaccine is against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) a virus that causes warts, including genital warts. Some of the strains of this particular virus, when introduced to a female sexual reproductive organ would eventually cause cervical cancer. I shall not talk about the different manufacturers so I won’t be accused of promoting a certain product.
The reason why the vaccination is to be started at a young age for girls is to trigger the recipients’ immune system to have antibodies so they will be able to ‘fight’ the virus by the time they are being introduced to the HPV. One would ask how the HPV is introduced into a woman’s cervix which would later cause cancer. It is through sexual intercourse. That is why, vaccination against HPV is to be started earlier, before a female is sexually active.
As for any value in a woman who is already sexually active to get the vaccination, it is still too early to tell but I do not see any harm in doing so for women who are already sexually active (unless there is any contra-indication).
As for the scares of certain reactions in Gardasil vaccine, one has to understand the nature of how vaccines are produced. Vaccines are mass-produced using various methods depending on the nature of the pathogens of the vaccine you are producing against. For instance, an avian influenza vaccine is mass-produced by injecting the target virus into chicken eggs. The vaccine is later harvested and processed before being packed into vaccine bottles, ready to be used by medical professionals. So, those who are allergic to eggs might have some sort of reaction when getting a vaccine against avian influenza virus that is produced from eggs.
Same story with reactions to Gardasil and other vaccines. That is why, it is very important for everyone to be aware of what we are allergic of and to really understand the risks that we are putting ourselves into before agreeing to any form of vaccination or before taking any drugs. It is also the medical professionals’ responsibility to inform their patients of all the possibilities and risks of a particular vaccine (or drug).
Another possible reason for the reaction is a direct reaction to the vaccine itself. Vaccines are actually live but ‘disabled’ pathogens (ie. a virus) or a segment of a pathogen (ie. of a bacteria, virus etc), that are able to trigger our immune system to produce antibodies to ‘fight’ the pathogen. Unlike the actual pathogen, vaccines, being ‘stripped off its fangs’, would not make us ill or as ill as the actual pathogen. However, sometimes, vaccines would make us feeling lethargic or feverish sometimes. This is due to our immune system reacting to the presence of the vaccine in our body, hence triggering a reaction. There are other reactions depending on the type of vaccines.
Bottom line, apart from just swallowing whatever that our doctors tell us, we should do a little bit of reading too before agreeing to a certain treatment/vaccination. I remember fighting with a doctor who insisted on giving me a vaccination without my doing my homework first. I’ve stopped going to her clinic since. We as patients, have every right to know what they are poking into our body.
Hope this explanation provides some insight into the world of vaccines. I do not think anyone is trying to be an expert as “2nd class” puts it. I think people are genuinely concerned and it is the responsibility of those who understand to share their knowledge with others.
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As I always say…..Malaysia is now lawless. Put up any banner you like, make any claims you want, park anywhere you like…..when the enforcement folks come along…….$$$$$ selesai everything.
(I believe) this clinic is also run from a residential premise. MPPP has not taken any action…what more a small banner!
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Just forget about all those drug-related substances as many Malaysians do not know so much about the side effects that come along with such so-called preventive medicines.
You will be surprised if you take the opportunity to view this video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9b9IzSC2lE&feature=PlayList&p=5877C8B99F7D3CDB&index=0&playnext=1
Western drugs or medicines merely suppress cancer just as chemotherapy. Their side effects is beyond redemption. it is like out of the frying pan into the fire.
Whatever such claims they may have, it is best to adopt natural sources. Instead. see this website for cancer cures….the natural way via a world-wide patented natural product
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As a GP in Sydney, I’ve given Gardasil to many patients in my clinic for the last one year. It is provided free by the government to all girls in high school and women up to 26 years old and is effective in preventing genital warts and 95% of all cervical cancer.
So far, I’ve seen no side-effects from this vaccine. However, some girls may faint during the procedure due to fear of the injection. This is the experience shared by all GPs in Australia.
From the medical point of view, this vaccine is highly recommended.
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As far as prevention of diseases are concerned, Homeopathy prophylaxis is the safest. It is cheap and the best for the third world countries.
You can see this research done by some medical doctors in Cuba to prevent Leptospirosis(swamp fever) during hurricane season.
http://homeopathyresource.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/summary-of-cuban-experiences-on-leptospirosis-prevention-from-the-authors/
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So this is the logic:
Step one and Step two together: PATENT AND INVENT miracle vaccine which can prevent cervical cancer. Then MAKE GRAND DISCOVERY that ONE virus causes cervical cancer. Then ADVERTISE on banners.
Maybe that ONE virus which causes prostrate cancer is waiting to be miraculously discovered and the miracle vaccine in the patents office will save all mankind from prostrate cancer.
Frankly I think, many doctors have become quite brain dead probably because they have spent the best part of their lives reading drug catalogues.
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Either brain dead or $$$$$$$$ vengeance to claw back tuition fee investments.
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Gardasil is a dangerous scam cloak in good intentions.
I am no doctor but the person who wrote the following article is.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/142620/warning_hpv_vaccine_gardasil_is_unnecessary.html?cat=5
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Some doctors I know are charging between RM 300 to RM 400 for this vaccine while the cost is a mere RM 140.00.
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Wow… if Gardasil can prevent 95% of ALL cervical cancer… I suppose from the MEDICAL POINT OF VIEW, a vaccine for ALL cancer is next on the agenda to save this time the male population as well.
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When Japan changed it’s vaccination schedule in 1975 it’s overall infant mortality rate improved to become the best in the world.
The 2002 vaccination schedule for Japan & U.S.:
Japan recommends, in the first year of life six vaccinations and only three more in the second year of life.
In the CDC recommended schedule, 13 vaccinations in the first 12 months, with 15 being possible because an infant may receive the third Hep B and the third IPV shot in the first year of life and seven more in the second year of life.
It’s only 9 injections in the first two years in Japan.
In the U.S. it’s 20 vaccinations in the first 2 years.
Malaysia seems to be following the U.S. schedule for vaccinations. Perhaps Malaysia’s high infant mortality rate has got something to do with excessive use of vaccinations?
It just doesn’t make sense to put 3 diseases(MMR – Measles, Mumps, Rubella/DPT – Diphteria, Pertussis, Tetanus) into an infant’s developing immune system in one shot.
We should listen to the Japanese who have been ranked as the healthiest population by the W.H.O.
U.S. came a poor No.37 behind 3rd world countries such as Costa Rica, Dominica, Chile and Morocco.
You can see these clips from You tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8OwwDP-Xkg&feature=PlayList&p=56C0B48DBAE3302D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=33
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Do we have vaccine that prevent corrupt politicians ? Like it will drop dead in its own when enter public office.
-woody
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When you Google search “Gardasil Death” – you get 136,000 hits.
It says a lot about this growing product safety controversy.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=opera&rls=en&q=Gardasil&as_q=death&btnG=Search+within+results
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Here is a link to learn more about vaccines:
http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm
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Japan’s reduction in infant death was due to the change in schedule of giving the vaccine at age 2. Before that age it had been shown repeatedly to cause sudden infant death or crib death.
When australia no longer made vaccination mandatory 50% of the parents of new born babies did not accede to vaccination. Coincidentally the SID rate also dropped 50% at that point.
The link to autism, while many studies had came out to disclaim association in recent days, many studies continued to be linked with it.
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Andrew, I can perscribe the most wonder vaccine against all type of cancers ever found in the world. All you need to do is spend a couple of minutes each day to crawl like baby until your upper body is warm. All cancers will disappear by itself. You can’t buy your health. You need to earn it with a bit of sweat, but not over sweat pls!
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