Gardasil is a cervical cancer vaccine that's injected beneath the upper layer of the skin. Cervical cancer is commonly caused by a virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV). Gardasil protects girls and women ages 9 to 26 against four different types of HPV, according to the Gardasil website--two types of HPV responsible for causing 70 percent of the cases of cervical cancer, and two types of HPV that are responsible for causing 90 percent of the cases of genital warts. Gardasil vaccination may cause complications in some females.
Injection Site Reaction
After getting an injection of Gardasil in your arm, you may develop a skin reaction at the site of injection. Complications from the Gardasil vaccine injection include swelling, itching, redness, pain or bruising at the injection site. These reactions typically resolve within a few days following vaccination.
Flu-Like Symptoms
During clinical trials, approximately 93 percent of women who got the Gardasil vaccination reported experiencing complications that included flu-like symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Following vaccination, you may experience flu-like complications such as fever, nausea, vomiting, headache or dizziness. Fainting is common in adolescent females after getting the Gardasil vaccine, which may lead to further complications such as injury from falling. Patients should remain seated for at least 15 minutes after vaccination to prevent such complications.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Rarely, some females may develop Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) after getting the Gardasil vaccination. GBS is a a condition in which the immune system attacks part of the nervous system. Symptoms of GBS include severe muscle weakness and abnormal sensations throughout the body, which may last for several weeks. Depending upon the severity of GBS, certain people may develop complete paralysis. Though there is no cure for GBS, people with this condition may recover within a few weeks--or it may take several years.
Blood Clots
Blood clots within the legs, heart and lung have been rarely reported by some people following Gardasil vaccination. If blood clots block the flow of blood within the body, life-threatening complications can occur.
Death
Though rare, death has been reported in some females following Gardasil vaccination. There is significant controversy surrounding the complications of the Gardasil vaccine.
