When the vaccine was studied before approval, was DES exposure considered at all?
A. In a word, “no,” there was apparently no consideration given to DES exposure in the trials done by Merck. I have seen nothing indicating that DES was segregated out. In fact, it was tested in women up to 26-years old and so they were too young to have been exposed to DES in utero. While I understand concerns in the DES community about any new medication, I want to allay anxiety in this case. I firmly believe this vaccine is safe for exposed and unexposed individuals when administered by a health care provider.
