Question

April is an 18-year-old female who comes to clinic today for her sports physical and immunizations. Her immunization history notes she has had all her vaccines through age 5 and one dose of the HPV vaccine at age 11. Can she finish the HPV series or will she need to start over? Based on the pharmacotherapeutics of this vaccine, what precautions and contraindications do you need to consider? What are the adverse drug reactions? What is the VIS and why is it important?

Answer 1

Yes, She can Finish her HPV Vaccine Schedule without any interruption and She needn't take the 1st dose again which she took at the age of 11.

Precautions and Contraindications to be Considered while giving HPV vaccine are -

• A severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to a vaccine component or following a prior dose of HPV vaccine is a contraindication to receipt of HPV vaccine.
• Anaphylactic allergy to latex is a contraindication to bivalent HPV vaccine in a prefilled syringe since the tip cap might contain natural rubber latex.
• Quadrivalent and 9-valent HPV vaccines are produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast) and are contraindicated for persons with a history of immediate hypersensitivity to yeast.
• A moderate or severe acute illness is a precaution to vaccination, and vaccination should be deferred until symptoms of the acute illness improve.
• A minor acute illness (e.g., diarrhea or mild upper respiratory tract infection, with or without fever) is not a reason to defer vaccination.
• HPV vaccine is not recommended for use during pregnancy.

Adverse Reactions

• The most common adverse reactions of HPV vaccines is local reactions at the site of injection.
• Also local reactions such as pain, redness, or swelling were reported by 20% to 90% of recipients.
• A temperature of 100°F during the 15 days after vaccination was reported in 10% to 13% of HPV vaccine recipients. A similar proportion of placebo recipients reported an elevated temperature.
• A variety of systemic adverse reactions have been reported by vaccine recipients, including nausea, dizziness, myalgia, and malaise. However, these symptoms occurred with equal frequency among both HPV vaccine and placebo recipients.
• Local reactions generally increased in frequency with increasing doses. However, reports of fever did not increase significantly with increasing doses.
• No serious adverse events have been associated with any HPV vaccine.

​​​​A VIS or Vaccine Information Statement is a document, produced by CDC, that informs vaccine recipients – or their parents or legal representatives – about the benefits and risks of a vaccine they are receiving.