In 2012 HPV vaccination started in Colombia for girls 9 years and older in 4th school grade. The initial scheme used the quadrivalent vaccine at 0, 2, and 6 months, but in 2013, the vaccination schedule was modified to 0, 6, 60 and vaccination extended to all girls 9 years and older from 4th to 11th school grades. In June 2014 and outbreak was reported in a small village in the north of the country as possibly related with the HPV vaccination program.
The Colombian National Institute of Health carried out the corresponding research and surveillance according to established algorithms in addition to the medical examination and clinical investigation for all reported cases.
During 5 months, 509 girls and 8 boys reported different symptoms including mainly (but not limited to) head ache, paresthesia, chest pain, dizziness, and fainting; all symptoms were associated by parents and children with a shot of HPV vaccine. Apart from the reported symptoms no additional alterations were observed in medical examinations (including lab, diagnostic imaging, and electrophysiological tests). No reports were received from other populations in the country and no relation with vaccine lot released was observed. The study did not find any relationship with the HPV vaccination program or any other possible source of the outbreak. HPV vaccination coverage in the country reached 89.2% of school girls in 2012 and 76.0% in 2013 (third and second doses respectively), after a massive diffusion of the outbreak episode in 2014 the vaccination coverage drop down to 21.2% in the country.
The role of the media and a proper response to massive reactions to HPV vaccination are essential to safeguard achievements of vaccination programs and women’s health