FDA Approves Expanded Use of Gardasil 9 HPV Vaccine

In late 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced expanded approval of the Gardasil 9 human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine. Previously approved for administration to males and females between the ages of 9 and 26, Gardasil 9 is now an approved HPV vaccine for men and women through 45 years of age.

According to the FDA’s press release:

“[The] approval represents an important opportunity to help prevent HPV-related diseases and cancers in a broader age range. . . . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that HPV vaccination prior to becoming infected with the HPV types covered by the vaccine has the potential to prevent more than 90 percent of these cancers, or 31,200 cases every year, from ever developing.”

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What Should You Ask and Tell your Doctor Before You Get Vaccinated?

While vaccinations are routine procedures that carry strong recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they still carry certain risks. Flu shots, tetanus shots, and other CDC-recommended vaccinations are known to cause a variety of injuries and illnesses, and errors during the vaccine administration process can lead to various types of painful and debilitating shoulder injuries. Continue reading

Who Should Not Get Vaccinated? Recommendations from the CDC

who-should-be-vaccinatedAlthough the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccination as the best way to prevent the spread of the flu and other diseases, it also says that certain people should not get vaccinated. Since not getting vaccinated carries obvious risks, anyone who has questions about whether it is safe to receive a particular vaccination should consult their doctor.

The CDC provides specific recommendations for each approved vaccine with regard to the health risks that may outweigh the benefits of vaccination. Generally speaking, however, the types of factors that may lead your doctor to recommend against getting vaccinated include the following. Continue reading