Drugs/Therapy

Merck Recalls HPV Vaccine, Gardasil

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Dec 21, 2013 10:17 AM EST

Drug manufacturing company, Merck & Co. has issued a voluntary recall of one lot of its HPV (Human papillomavirus) vaccine, Gardasil. According to the company, that particular lot of vaccines might contain small glass particles, which was cause by a breakage during the manufacturing process.

Merck stated that the recalled lot was distributed between Aug. 20 and Oct. 9. Based on this time span, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that there were a total of 743,360 vials. Merck believes that out of this number, around 10 of them might actually be contaminated with the glass.

The CDC has reported that people who received the vaccine during that time should not have to worry since there have been no reports of an adverse reaction to the vaccine. The company believes that a reaction would be mild, exhibiting redness or swelling at the injection site. Clinics that have received the vials from the recalled lot should follow instructions provided by Merck.

"Vaccines from the affected lot were distributed between August 20, 2013, and October 9, 2013. No other lots are affected," the CDC said in a statement released Friday reported by FOX News. "People who have recently received an HPV vaccine or their parents do not need to take any action as a result of this recall. If a vaccine containing glass particles [tiny enough to get through a needle] is given to a patient, mild reactions routinely seen after vaccination may occur [for instance, redness or swelling at the injection site]."

The Gardasil vaccine is recommended for girls and boys at the age of 11 or 12. It protects against some strains of HPV that can cause cervical cancer.

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