Following clinical trials, the vaccine used in the UK HPV vaccination programme (Cervarix) was shown to cause side effects in some people.
Very common side effects
Very common side effects are:
- pain or discomfort at the injection site,
- redness or swelling at the injection site,
- headaches,
- aching muscles, muscle tenderness or weakness (not caused by exercise), and
- tiredness.
These may occur in more than one per 10 doses of vaccine.
Common side effects
Common side effects are:
- gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain,
- itching, red skin rash or hives (urticaria),
- joint pain, and
- fever (a body temperature of 38°C or over).
These may occur in less than one per 10 doses of the vaccine but more than one per 100 doses.
Uncommon side effects
Uncommon side effects are:
- upper respiratory tract infection (infection of the nose, throat or windpipe),
- dizziness, and
- other injection site reactions such as a hard lump, tingling or numbness.
These may occur in less than one per 100 doses of the vaccine but more than one per 1,000 doses.
Very rare side effects
In very rare cases, it is possible for someone who has the vaccine to experience a more severe allergic reaction, known as an anaphylactic reaction. Signs of an anaphylactic reaction include difficulty breathing and collapse.
However, it should be stressed that severe reactions of this nature are very rare and, when they do occur, the health professional who is giving the vaccine will have been fully trained in how to effectively deal with it. If your child has an anaphylactic reaction following treatment, they will usually fully recover within a few hours.
