Merck bows before market furor, suspends vaccine mandate

Facing a continuous tumult from parents, health experts and advocacy groups like Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, Merck & Co., today suspended its controversial campaign for states that requires young girls to be immunized against a virus that causes cervical cancer.

The U. S. pharmaceutical giant attracted huge criticism from market, blaming company’s profit motive rather than public health as the guiding rule for propagating Gardasil vaccine for sixth-grade girls across the nation.

Designed to halt the spread of a sexually transmitted disease, parents and public groups are concerned that a mandate might encourage promiscuity. Furthermore, available at a cost of $360 for three shots, the vaccine is expected to generate annual sales of $3 billion for Merck, thus attracting market woe.

"Our goal is about cervical cancer prevention, and we want to reach as many females as possible with Gardasil," Dr. Richard M. Haupt, Merck's medical director for vaccines said.

Designed and marketed by Merck & Co., Gardasil is the world's first vaccine that provides protection against certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). As per stats from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated half of all sexually active women get infected with the virus at some point of their lives.

After extensive clinical trials, the vaccine got its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval on June 8, 2006.

When administered to females between the age group 9 to 26, in the course of three injections, the vaccine promised protection against four types of HPV viz type 6, type 11, type 16 and type 18.

While, HPV types 16 and 18 cause about 70 percent of HPV-related cervical cancer cases, the HPV types 6 and 11 were linked to about 90 percent of genital wart cases.

“However, the company will continue providing information about the vaccine if requested by government officials,” Haupt assured.