HPV Vaccine Gardasil Recalled: Some may Contain Small Glass

The drug manufacturing company Merck & Co. has issued a voluntary recall for one of its HPV (Human papillomavirus) vaccine's, known as Gardasil. For this particular vaccine, the company notes that some may contain small amounts of glass particles due to breakage during the manufacturing process. 

Merck stated that the recalled lot was distributed between Aug. 20 and Oct. 9. During this time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a total of 743,360 vials. Though onlhy a small number of vials are believed to actually contain glass remnants (10), the company is not taking any risks. 

"Vaccines from the affected lot were distributed between August 20, 2013, and October 9, 2013. No other lots are affected," the CDC said in a statement released Friday reported by FOX News. "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]."

For those that received the vaccine during the possible contamination period, the CDC reports that participants should not be worried as no reports regarding adverse reactions have been noted at this time. Any reaction from the drug is believed to be mild, exhibiting redness or swelling via the injection site, and clinics that have received the vials during the recall period should follow instructions provided by Merck. 

The Gardasil vaccine is recommended for girls and boys at the age of 11 or 12. It protects against some strains of HPV that can cause cervical cancer.