HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINATION DURING PREGNANCY

Abstract

Summary. Cervical cancer ranks fourth among the most common forms of cancer in the world [1]. Prophylactic checks and vaccinations can help prevent this disease. Vaccination against human papillomavirus is included in the mandatory vaccination calendar in many European countries, including Lithuania. It is recommended to vaccinate girls who have not yet started their sex life, but the main recipients of this vaccine are women of varying childbearing age [2]. The likelihood of accidental injection of the vaccine dose in early pregnancy or immediately before conception increases. The World Health Organisation advises to avoid vaccinations human papillomavirus (HPV) during pregnancy [3]. The article provides an overview and summary of data from several worldwide studies examining the impact of vaccines against HPV-bivalent Cervarix, four-valent Silgard and Gardasil, as well as the effect of nine-valent Gardasil 9 on the course and outcome of pregnancy. They did not establish that the HPV
vaccine administered to the pregnant woman or prior to conception would increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and abnormalities in fetal development, but clinical studies in pregnant women are not available, therefore the safety of the vaccine in pregnancy currently not definitively established.