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Gardasil Risks

Gardasil is a vaccine developed and marketed by Merck Pharmaceuticals to prevent four types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a sexually-transmitted disease believed to cause cervical cancer and genital warts. As of September 2009, 26 million doses have been administered in the United States primarily to adolescent girls. The vaccine poses some side effects; 15,037 recipients have reported adverse reactions, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deemed 93 percent of these non-serious. The CDC believes the vaccine is quite safe and continues to recommend it for the prevention of HPV infection.

Gardasil is the brand name for the vaccine; its generic name is Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent [Types 6, 11, 16 and 18] Vaccine, Recombinant.

  1. Dizziness or Fainting

    • One of the most common adverse reactions to Gardasil, especially among adolescents, is dizziness or fainting. Some women have reported falling after losing consciousness, resulting in bruises, lacerations or concussions. When young women receive the vaccine, doctors now recommend that they remain seated and calm for 15 minutes to prevent injury following the injection.

    Soreness at the Injection Site

    • Recipients have reported that Gardasil shots resulted in redness, pain, swelling and soreness at the injection site. The vaccine must be administered in three separate doses at intervals of two and six months from the date of the first dose.

    Fever and/or Nausea

    • About one in 10 people reported a mild fever (100 degrees F) and one in 65 people reported a moderate fever (102 degrees F) after receiving the vaccine, according to the CDC's statistics.

    Blood Clots

    • At least 56 Gardasil recipients have reported experiencing blood clots in the heart, lungs and legs. Four cases were fatal. The CDC believes that many of these cases involved women predisposed to clots, such as those taking oral birth control pills.

    Allergic Reactions

    • Women who are allergic to any of the ingredients in Gardasil, especially yeast, should not take the vaccine. Patients have reported mild to severe allergic reactions with symptoms including difficulty breathing, hoarseness, wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness or a rapid heart beat.

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