Is it Safe to Get Pregnant After Taking the Gardasil Shot?

Gardasil is not known to adversely affect fertility or pregnancy, but it is not recommended for pregnant women or those who plan to become pregnant during the vaccination series.

Identification

• Gardasil is a vaccine manufactured by Merck that inoculates women against the four types of human papillomavirus (HPV) most likely to cause cervical cancer. Patients receive the vaccine in three doses over a six-month period.

FDA Classification

• The FDA has classified Gardasil as a Category B medication, meaning it has not been shown to cause fetal harm in animals.

Study

• In clinical studies, the number of pregnancy abnormalities found in women who became pregnant within 30 days of receiving Gardasil was slightly higher than those found in women who became pregnant while on a placebo during the same time frame.

Recommendations

• According to the CDC, women should wait until their pregnancy is over before receiving the Gardasil vaccine. It also recommends those who become pregnant while receiving it postpone the vaccine series. Generally, women should wait one month after receiving the last dosage of the vaccine before trying to conceive.

Pregnancy Registries

• Merck recommends anyone who becomes pregnant within 30 days of receiving the Gardasil vaccine to contact the company at 1-800-986-8999. This will allow the patient to be monitored for fetal outcomes through Merck’s Pregnancy Registries.