2vHPV Vaccine Reported Safe Once Again

A new review of post-licensure data found human papillomaviruses (HPV) vaccines are highly effective in preventing infection with oncogenic HPV types.

The findings should provide reassurance to patients, parents, and health care providers, these researchers said in a press release.

This study was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and did not identify any new or unexpected safety concerns of the bivalent HPV vaccine.

The authors analyzed reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting Systems (VAERS) following bivalent HPV (2vHPV) vaccination from 2009-2017. VAERS received 241 adverse event reports after the 2vHPV vaccine.

Of the 241 2vHPV reports reviewed, 95.8 percent were classified as non‐serious.

Dizziness, headache, nausea and injection site reactions were the most common symptoms.

"This review provides additional evidence that bivalent HPV vaccine is safe, and that most adverse reactions are mild and resolve quickly on their own," said lead author Tiffany Suragh, MPH, of the CDC, said in a press release. 

Of the 32,500 cancers that HPV has caused every year, 30,000 are caused by strains that could have been prevented by the 9-valent HPV vaccine, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While most HPV vaccines used in the United States during this period were the quadrivalent HPV vaccine, 720,000 doses of the bivalent HPV vaccine were distributed.

HPV vaccines were licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by 2014: bivalent (2vHPV), quadrivalent (4vHPV), and 9-valent HPV vaccines.

Since late 2016, only 9-valent HPV vaccine is available for distribution in the USA. The Gardasil 9 vaccine is a 9-valent HPV vaccine that protects against 9 HPV types, including 7 types that can cause cancer. 

HPV vaccination services are found in most pharmacies and physician offices in the USA.

To schedule an HPV vaccination appointment, please visit this page.

And HPV vaccine discounts can be found here.

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the FDA or CDC.