Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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151. To ask the Minister for Health if claims that the symptoms of the 650 persons who have received the HPV vaccine fit in with a recently described phenomenon known as autoimmune and inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (details supplied) will be examined by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45387/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Adjuvants (immune potentiators or immunomodulators) have been used for decades to improve the immune response to vaccine antigens. The incorporation of adjuvants into vaccine formulations is aimed at enhancing, accelerating and prolonging the specific immune response towards the desired response to vaccine antigens. Advantages of adjuvants include the enhancement of the immunogenicity of antigens, modification of the nature of the immune response, the reduction of the antigen amount needed for a successful immunisation, the reduction of the frequency of booster immunisations needed and an improved immune response in the elderly and immunocompromised.

Of the approximately 650 reports of suspected adverse reactions that were received by the Health Products Regulatory Authority and classified as serious, in the majority of these cases the medical care required was for the treatment of vaccination related events, such as fainting around the time of vaccination, or treatment for injection site reactions such as headache, rash, itching (or other allergic-type reactions), fever, muscle pain and gastrointestinal effects, such as nausea and vomiting. Such reactions are typically transient in nature and as such do not represent autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.