NEWS

High safety marks were given to Merck’s human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil. A new study published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine1 looked at side effects of this vaccine in a large number of female and did not detect evidence of new safety concerns among females 9 to 26 y of age following vaccination with Gardasil. In this US government-required study, 190,000 females in Kaiser Permanente’s California insurance system were followed for 60 d after receiving Gardasil. The only short-term side effects associated with the vac-cine were fainting and infection. Study results showed that patients were six times more likely to have fainted the day of the shot than in the following weeks and 1.8 times more likely to report a skin and subcutaneous tissue infection in the two weeks after. However, no serious adverse effects occurred, and no link to more serious health problems was reported. Study lead author Dr. Nicola Klein, co-director of the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in Oakland told NJ.com, “The take-home message is this is a very reassur-ing finding. Patients and providers should be aware to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for 15 minutes after this vaccine.” Two HPV vaccines are currently licensed in the USA, Gardasil and Cervarix (GSK). On the list of the top-selling vaccines this year, Gardasil is placed 3rd, while Cervarix falls int