What sorts of serious adverse events have been reported?
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), which is a rare disorder that causes muscle weakness, has been reported. To date, there is no evidence that Gardasil has increased the rate of GBS above that expected in the population. People have reported blood clots after getting Gardasil. These clots have occurred in the heart, lungs, and legs. Most of these people had a risk of getting blood clots, such as taking oral contraceptives (the birth control pill). Forty three deaths in the U.S. have been reported to VAERS as of September 1, 2009. Each of these deaths has been reviewed and there was not a common pattern to the deaths that would suggest they were caused by the vaccine. In cases where there was an autopsy, death certificate, or medical records, the cause of death was explained by factors other than the vaccine. Some reported causes of death received to date include illicit drug use, diabetes, viral illness, and heart failure.
