In clinical trials and in real-world use, the HPV vaccine appears to be very safe. More than 40 million doses of the vaccine -- mostly Gardasil, which was approved in 2006 -- have been given in the U.S. Gardasil 9 was approved in 2014.
From 2006 to 2014, there were about 25,000 reports to the government of HPV vaccine side effects. More than 90% of these were classified as non-serious. The most common side effects of the HPV vaccine are minor:
- About one in 10 people will have a mild fever after the injection.
- About one person in 30 will get itching at the injection site.
- About one in 60 people will experience a moderate fever.