As of June 2009, 15 million girls had received Gardasil vaccines and some also reported suffering from adverse reactions that have included dizziness, numbness, and blood clots, among other dangerous, and sometimes even deadly, reactions.
Reports of side effects following vaccinations are compiled by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which is jointly managed by the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While reports remain unconfirmed and there is no direct tie to the Gardasil vaccination, data indicates that over 23 million Gardasil doses were administered between 2006 and 2008. Of these, said the Washington Post, 12,424 complaints were filed and included “pain and redness at the injection site, dizziness, nausea, headaches, and fainting.”
Of note, six percent of the reports were very serious and included “blood clots and Guillain-Barré syndrome,” as well as 32 reports of death. Guillain-Barré is a neurological disorder that causes weakness in the muscles, as well as tingling, which can lead to paralysis, said the Washington Post. Because of the differing symptoms involved, there is yet to be a confirmed link to the vaccine.