Both the timing of the symptoms and autopsy results “suggest a link between” the Gardasilvaccine and the fatal cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, says Catherine Lomen-Hoerth, MD, director of the ALS Center at University of California San Francisco Medical Center.
With only two confirmed cases, “we don’t know for sure if it’s coincidence or if they’re connected [to the vaccine],” she tells WebMD. “We hope that by raising awareness, we will become aware of any other cases."
Pam Eisele, a spokeswoman for Merck & Co., which makes the vaccine, says the company cannot comment specifically on the cases as it has not seen the data.
“However, after carefully reviewing all the information available to us about reported adverse events, including reports of deaths, Merck does not believe these events have been caused by Gardasil,” she says.
The vaccine has been given to more than 7 million girls and young women nationwide.
Gardasil and ALS: Jenny’s Story
The tragic story of one of the girls, Jenny Tetlock, is chronicled on “Jenny’s Journey,” a web site created by her parents to publicize her case and get others with similar symptoms to come forward.
The first sign that something was wrong was when 14-year-old Jenny tripped on a hurdle that others in her class cleared easily, according to the web site. That was just months after her third and final booster Gardasil shot, Lomen-Hoerth says.
The disease rapidly progressed; both her legs, and then her arms became weak, Lomen-Hoerth continues. Jenny began to limp and had trouble gripping objects. She felt pins and needles in her feet, and her muscles atrophied, she tells WebMD.
Within a year, Jenny was paralyzed, a quadriplegic breathing only with the help of life support. She died shortly afterward, Lomen-Hoerth says.
Throughout the course of her illness, Jenny’s mind was as sharp as ever, she adds.
The other patient, a 20-year-old, developed similar symptoms within four months of her first Gardasil shot, Lomen-Hoerth says. The disease followed a similar course, and the girl died 28 months later.