Although some data has suggested a potential association between receipt of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and subsequent venous thromboembolism, an analysis that included more than 500,000 women who received the vaccine did not find an increased risk of VTE, according to a study in the July 9 issue of JAMA.
“Safety concerns can compromise immunization programs to the detriment of public health, and timely evaluations of such concerns are essential,” the authors write. Nikolai Madrid Scheller, MB, of Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues used data from Danish national registers to evaluate the potential link between quadrivalent HPV vaccination and VTE.
Information on vaccination, use of oral contraceptives, use of anticoagulants (blood thinners), and the outcome of a first hospital diagnosis of VTE not related to pregnancy, surgery, or cancer was obtained from Danish registers.
The study included all Danish women, ages 10 through 44 years, from October 2006 through July 2013 (n =1,613,798), including 500,345 (31 percent) who received the quadrivalent HPV vaccine; there were 4,375 incident cases of VTE. Of these, 889 women (20 percent) were vaccinated during the study period. Analysis of the data did not find an association between the quadrivalent HPV vaccine and VTE during the 42 days following vaccination (defined as the main risk period).
“Our results, which were consistent after adjustment for oral contraceptive use and in girls and young women as well as mid-adult women, do not provide support for an increased risk of VTE following quadrivalent HPV vaccination,” the researchers write.
Reference: doi:10.1001/jama.2014.2198
Source: American Medical Association (AMA)
CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures
July 11th 2025With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.
IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists
July 11th 2025Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.
A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings
July 9th 2025Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.