Gardasil

What you should know before using

In deciding to use a vaccine, the risks of taking the vaccine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this vaccine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatrics

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of human papillomavirus recombinant quadrivalent vaccine in children younger than 9 years of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Studies on this vaccine have been done only in patients younger than 26 years of age, and there is no specific information comparing use of this vaccine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this vaccine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bleeding problems or
• Hemophilia—This vaccine should NOT be used in patients with these conditions.

• Immune deficiency condition, or family history of—This condition may increase the chance and severity of side effects with the vaccine and/or may decrease the useful effects of the vaccine.

• Severe illness with fever—The symptoms of this condition may be confused with the possible side effects of the vaccine.