Tagcloud

abortion, abuse, acute care, addiction, administration, alcohol, alternative medicine, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, blood, breast cancer, Brendan Drumm, cancer, capacity, cardiovascular disease, CervicalCheck, charity, children, clinical directors, co-location, community care, competence assurance, Competition Authority, complaints, consultants, cosmetic surgery, costs, cross-border, cutbacks, cystic fibrosis, Department of Health, diabetes, disability, Down's syndrome, drugs, e-health, education, elderly, emergency medicine, epilepsy, equity, ESRI, EWTD, fertility, Fitness to Practice, fractures, funding, General Election, genetics, GPs, Hanly report, HIQA, HIV, HPSC, HSE, hse, human tissue, hygiene, IBTS, ICGP, IHCA, IMB, immunity, IMO, imo, industrial action, influenza, INO, insurance, Irish Healthcare Awards, IT, locums, LRC, lung disease, maternity, MAUs, media, medical cards, Medical Council, medical school, medico-legal, men's health, mental health, migraine, MRSA, NCHDs, needle-stick injury, neurology, NHS, Non-EU doctors, North East, NTPF, nurses, nursing home, nutrition, obesity, obstetrics, Ombudsman, out-of-hours, palliative care, pandemic, patient records, PCRS (GMS), pharmaceuticals, pharmacy, politics, practice management, pregnancy, prescribing, primary care, privatisation, quality, radiology, radiotherapy, RCPI, RCSI, reconfiguration, recruitment, regional hospitals, research, savings, screening, sexual assault, sexual health, smoking, sports medicine, stem cells, stroke, suicide, surgery, transplants, transport, tuberculosis, vaccine, Vhi, waiting lists, WHO, women's health, work-life balance

«Previous article | Next article»

Reactions to HPV vaccine in Australia 'uncommon'

New research describes hypersensitivity reactions to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in Australian schoolgirls. A total of 35 schoolgirls aged 12 to 18.9 years with suspected hypersensitivity reactions to the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine, were studied. True hypersensitivity to the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine iwas found to be uncommon and most girls tolerated subsequent doses.

Girls with suspected hypersensitivity to the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine were notified to the specialised immunisation services in 2007, after more than 380 000 doses had been administered in schools. Of these 35 schoolgirls, 25 agreed to further evaluation.

Twenty three (92%) experienced reactions after the first dose. Thirteen (52%) experienced urticaria or angio-oedema, and of these, two experienced anaphylaxis. Thirteen had generalised rash, one with angio-oedema. The median time to reaction was 90 minutes. Nineteen (76%) underwent skin testing with the quadrivalent vaccine: all were skin prick test negative and one was intradermal test positive. Eighteen (72%) were subsequently challenged with the quadrivalent vaccine and three (12%) elected to receive the bivalent vaccine. Seventeen tolerated the challenge and one reported limited urticaria four hours after the vaccine had been administered. Only three of the 25 schoolgirls were found to have probable hypersensitivity to the quadrivalent vaccine.

Adolescent schoolgirls received the vaccine in a secondary school vaccination programme and reports of vaccine-related adverse events soon followed.

Posted in Public Health on 03 December 2008
Tags: cancer, vaccine