Women Having Adverse Reactions to the Gardasil Vaccination

Approximately 79 million Americans are infected with Human Papillomavirus ("HPV"), and approximately 14 million people will become newly infected each year. Some HPV types can cause cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancer among women, penile cancer among men, and anal and some oropharyngeal cancers among both men and women.

Gardasil® and Cervarix® are vaccines designed to protect against the types of HPV infection that cause most cervical cancers. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an HPV vaccination for girls and women between the ages of 9-26 for the prevention of these HPV infections.

However, Gardasil has been linked to various adverse reactions in women. Reported reactions range from benign to serious medical conditions and even death. Among non-serious adverse events, the most commonly reported generalized symptoms are fainting, also known as vasovagal response, dizziness, nausea, headache, fever, urticaria (hives), injection-site pain, redness, swelling.

More serious reported reactions include Guillain–Barré Syndrome (GBS), stroke, venous thromboembolism (VTE), appendicitis, seizures, allergic reactions, and a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. (A 2011 study from the Vaccine Safety Datalink studied the occurrence of specific adverse events following more than 600,000 doses of Gardasil).

There have also been deaths reported following the administration of Gardasil:

• Between June 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008, there were 12,424 reported adverse events following Gardasil vaccination, including 32 deaths. The girls, who were on average 18 years old, died within two to 405 days after their last Gardasil injection.

• Between May 2009 and September 2010, 16 additional deaths after Gardasil vaccination were reported. For that timeframe, there were also 789 reports of "serious" Gardasil adverse reactions, including 213 cases of permanent disability and 25 diagnosed cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

• Between September 1, 2010 and September 15, 2011, another 26 deaths were reported following HPV vaccination.

• As of May 13, 2013, VAERS had received 29,686 reports of adverse events following HPV vaccinations, including 136 reports of death,7, as well as 922 reports of disability, and 550 life-threatening adverse events

Although these adverse reactions occur in only a small percentage of recipients of the Gardasil vaccine, it is crucial that potential Gardasil candidates understand the risks associated with the vaccine.

The national vaccine attorneys at My Vaccine Lawyer have dedicated our careers to fighting for the victims of severe vaccine reactions caused by recipients of the Gardasil® and Cervarix® vaccinations. If you believe you may have suffered an adverse reaction to the Gardasil® or Cervarix® vaccination, please contact My Vaccine Lawyer at (800) 229-7704 for a free consultation.