The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines provide the best protection against HPV infections and their complications. Like all vaccines offered in Québec, the HPV vaccines are manufactured according to very strict safety standards.
According to statistics, fewer than 1 in 1,000 people develop severe symptoms after being vaccinated against HPV infections.
Many scientific articles published around the world also confirm the safety of the HPV vaccine.
Pregnant women
As a precaution, no studies have been conducted on the side effects of the HPV vaccines in pregnant women and their unborn babies. Therefore, HPV vaccination is not recommended during pregnancy.
However, an analysis was carried out on data for 2,802 women from the United States, Canada and France. These women had been given an HPV vaccine during pregnancy when they did not know they were pregnant. The analysis did not show any link between HPV vaccination and complications during pregnancy or birth defects. A World Health Organization (WHO) analysis of data for 92,000 pregnancies conducted in June 2017 confirms that there is no link.
Link between the vaccine and certain diseases
Multiple sclerosis
In a Danish study, no association was found between the vaccine and multiple sclerosis or several other diseases of the nervous system. The study was conducted on 4 million girls and women aged 10 to 44 years from 2006 to 2013. Of these, 800,000 had been given the HPV vaccine.
Circulatory disorders
The HPV vaccine does not increase the risk of circulatory disorders, such as venous thromboembolism, in girls and women aged 9 to 26 years. This conclusion comes from a study conducted in the United States and is supported by the report published by WHO in June 2017.
Complex regional pain syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
Complex regional pain syndrome is a chronic pain condition affecting the limbs.
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is a condition where the heart rate increases abnormally after changing position. When a person with this syndrome sits down or stands up, they may experience symptoms such as:
dizziness;
loss of consciousness;
headaches;
chest pain;
weakness.
A data review carried out in Europe concluded that there was no link between the HPV vaccine and these 2 rare syndromes. WHO also confirmed that there was no link.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an extremely rare reaction that can occur after an infection or after vaccination. It causes progressive paralysis that eventually disappears, but can sometimes have permanent effects.
Since the HPV Immunization Program was launched, around 32,000 young girls receive the vaccine every year in Québec. A study conducted in Canada in 2016 did not find any evidence of an increased risk for GBS in vaccination target groups.
Numerous studies and the report published by WHO in June 2017 did not show any link between HPV vaccination and GBS or any other immune system disorder. The WHO report also confirmed that the risk of GBS does not increase following HPV vaccination.