UPI | 13 July 2015

A review will be conducted for additional information on two rare side effects of three vaccines used in Europe

The European Medicines Agency announced it will review two rare side effects of vaccines for human papillomavirus, or HPV.

HPV vaccines prevent the spread of genital warts, and are widely given to girls around the age of 11 or 12 to lower the risk of cervical cancer.

The EMA is conducting the review because of 10 reported cases of complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic pain condition that affects limbs, and 11 cases of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a condition characterized by an abnormal heart rate increase after sitting or standing up, that causes symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, headache, chest pain and weakness.

The agency said in a press release that it plans to review changes to information about the vaccines and potentially establish a causal link between the side effects and the vaccines, however they do not expect to change the recommended uses for them.

“More than eight million doses of HPV vaccine have been given in the UK, with close to 90 percent of eligible teenagers vaccinated,” Dr. Sarah Branch, director of vigilance and risk management of medicines at the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, told the BBC. “With this very high level of vaccine uptake, such reports are to be expected. But the vaccine isn’t necessarily the cause and coincidental illness is a factor.”

There are currently three types of HPV vaccine approved for use in Europe. Gardasil and Gardasil 9 are used for both men and women to prevent genital warts and cancer in the cervix and anus. Cervarix protects against precancerous growths and cancer in the cervix and genital area for women.