A vaccine that offers protection from the virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer is the latest addition to the official childhood immunization schedule. Here, Bobbie Gostout, M.D., an HPV infection expert and gynecologic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., provides insight into this revolutionary cervical cancer vaccine.
Does the vaccine carry any health risks or side effects?
The cervical cancer vaccine has proved to be remarkably safe. The most common complaint is soreness at the injection site, the upper arm. Low-grade fever or flu-like symptoms also are common. But the effects are usually mild. No one in the clinical trials discontinued the vaccination series because of side effects.
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