This recommendation from the National Medicines Safety Agency follows the death of a teenager in October. Victim of illness after vaccination against HPV viruses, he had a fatal fall.
- The ANSM recommends that people vaccinated against HPV viruses remain seated or lying down after vaccination.
- This follows the death of a teenager in October: he felt unwell and then fell after receiving the vaccine.
- Since October, a vast vaccination campaign has been offered to 5th grade students in middle schools.
The National Medicines Safety Agency calls for vigilance. In a document published on November 14, it updates its recommendations regarding vaccination against HPV viruses. Because of the risk of discomfort or stiffness, “Vaccinated people should remain lying down (on floor mats or blankets) or sitting on the floor with their backs against a wall in a clear space.”
Papillomavirus: 15 minutes of monitoring are necessary
The ANSM considers that vaccinated patients must be monitored within 15 minutes following the injection.due to a risk of discomfort, syncope sometimes without presyncopal symptoms”. These discomforts are quickly resolved in most cases and remain uncommon. They can be “a psychogenic reaction to the injection”, which means that the stress caused by vaccination can cause discomfort. Some people may experience stiffness or tremors. It is because of the risk of injury following discomfort that the ANSM advises vaccinated people to sit or lie down.
HPV vaccination: how to explain this update of the recommendations?
This new recommendation follows the death of a teenager in October. Schooled in Nantes, this 12-year-old schoolboy fell on the back of his head after receiving the HPV virus vaccine. According to the Nantes prosecutor, his death is linked to “craniocerebral trauma following the fall. The Pays de Loire Regional Health Agency had previously indicated that the death was “unrelated to the vaccine product or to a quality defect in the vaccine“.
A vaccination campaign against HPV viruses in colleges
Following this tragedy, the vaccination campaign was interrupted for a few weeks in Loire-Atlantique. It started in October in this department and in the rest of France. Around 7,000 middle schools in France have offered their 5th grade students the opportunity to receive the HPV virus vaccine. The latter are responsible for precancerous lesions of the cervix. “Vaccination prevents up to 90% of HPV infections, which are often non-symptomatic but cause precancerous lesions and/or cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina and anus, explains it Ministry of Health. It is recommended by the High Health Authority for all girls and boys aged 11 to 14.” Free and non-obligatory, it is carried out only with the authorization of the parents. Every year, 6,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in France.
