Gardasil, the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine, protects people against specific strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV. People receive Gardasil over three visits. Drugs.com explains that after the first shot, the person receives the second shot two months later; she gets the third shot six months after starting the vaccine. While Gardasil protects people from HPV, it can cause some side effects.
Purpose
Gardasil protects people from four strains of HPV. For example, strains 6 and 11 cause genital warts. The other strains of HPV that Gardasil protects against, 16 and 18, can cause cervical cancer, as well as vaginal or vulvar cancer. Drugs.com points out that Gardasil can protect women ages 9 to 26 from all four strains and men ages 9 to 26 from strains 6 and 11.
Severe Side Effects
Some people who receive Gardasil may have severe side effects that require medical attention. For example, an allergic reaction to the vaccine can occur. Signs of an allergic reaction include hives, wheezing, problems breathing, itching and a skin rash. Kristi Monson, Pharm.D., and Arthur Schoenstadt, M.D., authors of the eMedTV article "Gardasil Side Effects," note that some people may show symptoms of Guillain-Barré, a disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system, which includes the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of Guillain-Barré include tingling, weakness and paralysis. A very high fever is another severe side effect of Gardasil.
Other Side Effects
People can have less severe side effects that do not require medical attention. Monson and Schoenstadt explain that 83.9 percent of people who receive Gardasil have pain at the injection site, while 25.4 percent have swelling and 24.6 percent had redness after the injection. Some people may feel ill after the injection, which includes diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fever, coughing, vomiting, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose and an upper respiratory tract infection. Other side effects include insomnia, muscle pain and joint pain.
Drug Interactions
Drugs.com notes that Gardasil can interact with other medications. For example, people undergoing chemotherapy or radiation may have problems when using Gardasil. Medications that prevent organ transplant rejection, such as tacrolimus, basiliximab, sirolimus, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil and muromonab-CD3, can interact with Gardasil. Other drugs that may cause problems with combined with Gardasil include steroidal medications and drugs for autoimmune disorders, which include leflunomide, azathioprine, etanercept and efalizumab.
Warning
While Gardasil can prevent cervical cancer, it does not replace preventative care. Drugs.com recommends that women who receive Gardasil should still get their yearly Pap smear and pelvic examination.
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