This text in Danish (published 5 November 2015): Sundhedsstyrelsen anbefaler HPV-vaccination af piger i 12-års-alderen
Evidence does not suggest that there is an association between HPV vaccines and the syndromes of POTS and CRPS. This is the conclusion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which has just completed its safety review of the HPV vaccines. The Danish Health Authority (DHA) is satisfied to have gained clarification and hopes that more people will participate in the HPV vaccination programme.
The DHA recommends girls at the age of 12 years to be vaccinated against cervical cancer. The conclusion of EMA's safety review is therefore welcomed by Søren Brostrøm, Director General at the DHA:
"It find it important that the new safety review means that we can now reassure girls who are about to receive the HPV vaccine and their families that there are no signs of a link to POTS and CRPS. We have never denied that vaccinations may cause adverse reactions, but we have always assessed that the benefits of being vaccinated outweigh any possible adverse effects. And we have worried that some families may have opted out of vaccination because of the debate about side effects, leaving the girls vulnerable to HPV infection. Cervical cancer is a terrible disease, each year affecting about 400 Danish women, many of them young women, and claiming the lives of around 100 individuals every year. But it is a disease that we can eliminate through effective immunisation and screening programmes."
The HPV vaccine against cervical cancer has been offered free of charge to girls as part of the Danish childhood immunisation programme since 2009.
Focus on patients with unresolved symptoms
Many girls and young women with unresolved symptoms have been referred to the regions' offer aimed at girls suspected of having adverse reactions after HPV vaccination. The DHA wants to make sure the offer they get is appropriate. There has been widespread interest in the offer, and the number of Danish girls referred to the centres remains high.
It is important to the DHA that there is a sound and professional environment for examination and treatment, says Søren Brostrøm:
"Patients with unresolved symptoms must be ensured the same offer across the nation. Together with the regions and experts in the field, we have launched a project to see how we can plan efforts for patients with unclear symptoms, so they can get the right examination and treatment. The expected outcome is a set of recommendations about referral, examination processes and treatment options, etc. with a cross-disciplinary approach in focus."
Like any other medicine, the HPV vaccine may cause adverse reactions. The DHA therefore keeps abreast of developments in the area, e.g. through dialogue with the Danish Medicines Agency and experts in the hospital sector, and through new research that is launched and published.