WebMD Medical News Louise Chang, MD Oct. 23, 2009 -- Researchers
say injections of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine apparently
hurt less than people may think. University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill scientists, reporting in the online journal Vaccine,
say anecdotal accounts and news stories have stressed the side
effects of the HPV vaccine, including reports of painful The
researchers say health care professionals are concerned that
these reports may keep young women and others from getting the
vaccine or completing the three-dose series, which is
recommended. The HPV vaccine administered during the study
period was Gardasil, which protects young women from strains of
the virus that cause a majority of cervical cancers and genital
warts. Only about 37% of adolescent girls in the U.S. who are
eligible for the shots have initiated the three-dose series. The
researchers conducted surveys in 2008 with parents of girls aged
11-20 living in areas of North Carolina with elevated cervical
cancer rates who had re