Human Papillomavirus Vaccine and Pregnant Women
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women. Women who are breast feeding may get the vaccine.
Pregnant women are not included in the recommendations for HPV vaccines.
Studies show neither vaccine caused problems for babies born to women who got the HPV vaccine while they were pregnant.
Getting the HPV vaccine when pregnant is not a reason to consider ending a pregnancy.
But, to be on the safe side until even more is known, a pregnant woman should not get any doses of either HPV vaccine until her pregnancy is completed.
Women who are pregnant, or think that they may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant during the vaccination course, should not use HPV vaccines.
Both the quadrivalent and bivalent HPV vaccines have been classified by the FDA as pregnancy category B. Although HPV vaccination in pregnancy is not recommended, routine pregnancy testing before vaccination is not recommended.
In clinical studies, the proportion of pregnancies with adverse outcomes was comparable in women who received the HPV vaccine and in women who received a placebo.
However, it is wise to remind patients to use contraception during the period of time when they are receiving the vaccination series.
If a woman realizes that she got one or more shots of an HPV vaccine while pregnant, she should do two things:
- Wait until after her pregnancy to finish the remaining HPV vaccine doses.
- Call the pregnancy registry [ 800-986-8999 for Gardasil or 888-452-9622 for Cervarix].
Source
-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
HPV Vaccine Information For Young Women
HPV Vaccine - Questions & Answers -
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Human Papillomavirus Vaccination
GeoSalud, October 2012
GeoSalud, January 24, 2013
