London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Following reports that young women given the HPV vaccine had experienced complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), the European Medicines Agency has completed a scientific review of evidence.

It concludes that the evidence does not support a causal link between the vaccines (Cervarix, Gardasil/Silgard and Gardasil-9) and development of CRPS or POTS. Reports of CRPS and POTS after HPV vaccination were said to be consistent with what would be expected in this age group. The European Medicines Agency states there is no reason to change the way the vaccines are used or amend the current product information.

The HPV vaccine protects young women from cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers and pre-cancerous conditions.

Dr Heidi Larson, director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "The new EMA risk assessment report on the safety of the HPV vaccine should build confidence among those who have expressed safety concerns about this vaccine, as well as those administering the vaccines and making policy decisions.

"The news, of course, does not alleviate the stress and anxieties that young girls and their parents went through, but hopefully the de-linking of the reported symptoms with the vaccine will help focus attention on other causes that might have prompted the reported adverse events to ensure an appropriate response."

CRPS is a chronic pain syndrome affecting a limb, while POTS is a condition where the heart rate increases abnormally on sitting or standing up, together with symptoms such as dizziness, fainting and weakness, as well as headache, aches and pains, nausea and fatigue. In some patients they can severely affect the quality of life. The syndromes are recognised to occur in the general population, including adolescents, regardless of vaccination.