Pharmaceutical company Merck is voluntarily recalling Gardasil from retailers due to the risk that some vials of the HPV vaccine may contain glass particles.
The company announced on Friday that 10 of 743,360 vials may have glass particles in them, a mishap resulting from a breakdown in production. In a medical assessment done by Merck, it has been found out that if a patient received one of the contaminated vials, he might risk a reaction localized in the injection area.
The vaccines were distributed between August and October 9, 2013. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told the media that it has bought at least 35,000 vials of Gardasil from Merck which are intended to be used in their vaccination programs.
Merck said in a press release: "Vaccines from the affected lot were distributed between August 20, 2013, and October 9, 2013. No other lots are affected. People who have recently received an HPV vaccine or their parents do not need to take any action as a result of this recall. If a vaccine containing glass particles (tiny enough to get through a needle) is given to a patient, mild reactions routinely seen after vaccination may occur (for instance, redness or swelling at the injection site)."
Gardasil is primarily used to protect the patient against certain strains of the human papillomavirus also known as HPV. So far, no injuries from the contaminated vials have been reported. Those who have been vaccinated using a vial from the contaminated lot do not need to be vaccinated again as the sterility of the vaccine is not affected.
The CDC stated that they still recommend that all preteen girls and boys should receive at least three doses of Gardasil at the age of 11-12 years old.
