Side effects: The HPV vaccine, Gardasil 9, may cause mild side effects such as soreness, redness, or swelling at the injection site, headache, tiredness, muscle aches, mild fever, dizziness, or feeling faint shortly after vaccination.
Additional precautions: Practise safe sex, attend routine cervical screening when invited, and speak to a healthcare professional if you have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or have had a previous allergic reaction to a vaccine. Vaccination is most effective when given before exposure to HPV, but it can still offer protection against HPV types you have not yet come into contact with.
Risks caused by HPV: Human papillomavirus is a common virus that can be passed on through intimate skin-to-skin contact. Some HPV types can cause genital warts, while high-risk types can lead to certain cancers, including cervical, anal, throat, penile, vulval, and vaginal cancers.