Allergic reactions to cervical cancer vaccine rare, Australian study shows

ALLERGIC REACTIONS to cervical cancer vaccine are rare, a study of Australian schoolgirls immunised since April 2007 has found.

Following the administration of more than 380,000 doses of the HPV vaccine Gardasil to girls in the Australian states of Victoria and South Australia, some 35 girls were reported to have had a possible hypersensitivity (allergic) reaction to the vaccine, one of two licensed for use worldwide. Dr Sharon Coo, consultant allergist at Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria, and her colleagues tested 25 of these girls who accepted an offer of a detailed evaluation of their symptoms.

The results, published online this morning by the British Medical Journal , show that just three of the schoolgirls, aged 12 to 19, had a true allergic reaction to the cervical cancer vaccine.

Two of the recipients had full-blown anaphylaxis, involving swelling of the larynx, an itchy rash and widespread tissue swelling. The authors noted that some components of the vaccine, such as aluminium salts and yeast, had previously been linked to hypersensitivity. But 19 girls had subsequent skin testing - the injection of a test dose of the vaccine under the skin - which was negative. Most were then re-vaccinated without experiencing any further problems.

This first large-scale study of allergies to the HPV vaccine comes after some anti-vaccine campaigners had expressed concern about its safety.

Headache, fatigue, an upset stomach and local swelling at the injection site have been reported following HPV immunisation.

Fainting has occurred after vaccination, a common occurrence when immunising adolescents. In the US, a possible association between HPV vaccination and the development of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare but acute neurological condition, is being investigated.

HPV infection is found in 99 per cent of women with cancer of the neck of the womb.

Cervical cancer is diagnosed in almost 200 women here every year. Clinical trials have shown that HPV vaccination prevents non-invasive cancer of the cervix.

In a controversial cost-cutting exercise, Minister for Health Mary Harney recently postponed plans for a national cervical cancer vaccination programme in the Republic.