HPV Vaccine Side Effects: An Introduction

As with any medicine, there are possible side effects with HPV vaccines (Gardasil^® and Cervarix^®). However, not everyone who receives the HPV vaccine will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate the HPV vaccine well. When side effects do occur, in most cases they are minor, meaning they require no treatment or are easily treated by you or your health care provider.

HPV Vaccine Side Effects to Report

There are several side effects with the HPV vaccine that you should report immediately to your health care provider.

 These include, but are not limited to:

· Very high fever

· Weakness, tingling, or paralysis (which may be signs of Guillain-Barré syndrome) 

· Signs of an allergic reaction, including difficulty breathing, wheezing, an unusual skin rash, itching, or hives.

As with other vaccines, fainting has been reported after some individuals were given the HPV vaccine. It is recommended that patients be observed for 15 minutes after the vaccination, to make sure that fainting does not occur in a dangerous situation(such as while driving).