Are unexplained adverse health events following HPV vaccination associated with infectious mononucleosis? - A Danish nationwide matched case-control study

BACKGROUND

In Denmark, the acceptance of the HPV vaccination program has been threatened by reports of suspected adverse events. Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection is associated with symptoms of long-lasting tiredness and may be misinterpreted as HPV vaccine adverse events. The main aim of this study was to examine if EBV infection around time of HPV vaccination was a risk factor for later suspected vaccine adverse events.

METHODS

The study was a nationwide register-based matched case-control study. Cases were females vaccinated against HPV in the period 2011 throughout 2017 with suspected adverse events. For each case, five HPV vaccinated females without suspected adverse events were selected. Information about EBV infection was obtained from the Danish Microbiology Database and assessed for three time periods: (1) before first HPV vaccination, (2) around time of HPV vaccination, and (3) any time during the study period 2010-2017. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between EBV and suspected adverse events.

RESULTS

We identified 1217 cases, matched to 6085 controls. A higher proportion of cases (38; 3.1%) than controls (31; 0.5%) were tested for EBV around time of HPV vaccination and cases had elevated odds for testing both EBV positive (OR 4.52, 95% CI 2.68-7.63) and EBV negative (OR 20.99, 95% CI 5.81-75.79). Only five females were classified with acute/recent EVB infection in this period.

CONCLUSION

Misinterpretation of EBV infection late symptoms is not a leading explanation for Danish females experiencing suspected adverse events after HPV vaccination. Although EBV cannot be excluded as an explanatory factor for a very small proportion of suspected adverse events, the findings are more likely explained by protopathic bias, i.e. the fact that a larger proportion of females suspecting adverse events are tested for EBV.

[Diagnostics of congenital cytomegalovirus in Denmark]

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common infectious cause of congenital malformations in Denmark. The disease is not notifiable, and there are no national data. A regional Danish prospective study from the 1970s found a cCMV incidence of 0.4%. We propose three algorithms for microbiological diagnosing: 1) Testing of pregnant women should only be -applied, when symptoms compatible with CMV infection are present, and no other diagnoses are found. 2) In children less than three weeks of age urine is the -preferred sample. 3) Retrospectively, cCMV may be diagnosed on dried blood spots, if the mother is CMV IgG-positive.

Transfusion transmission of hepatitis A virus with fecal shedding in a previously hepatitis A vaccinated recipient

We describe a rare case of hepatitis A virus (HAV) replication in feces despite presence of hepatitis A antibodies in an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient after transfusion with HAV contaminated platelets. The patient has been vaccinated against HAV years before the AML diagnosis. Transient infection and reshedding should thus be considered in antibody-positive hematological patients. Transfusion associated HAV transmission is rare, and little evidence exists on the clinical consequences and possible effect of treatment with immunoglobulin. Further reporting on fecal shedding despite antibodies are needed, as HAV antibody levels are used as course of action for post-exposure prophylaxis and infection control.

Ongoing multi-strain food-borne hepatitis A outbreak with frozen berries as suspected vehicle: four Nordic countries affected, October 2012 to April 2013

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