Vaccine Therapy With or Without Imiquimod in Treating Patients Who Have Undergone Surgery for Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed melanoma * Stage II-IV disease * Has undergone surgical resection within the past 12 months * No clinical or radiological evidence of disease after surgical resection * Must have ≥ 1 undissected axillary and/or inguinal lymph node basin * HLA-A1, -A2, or -A3 positive * Ineligible for OR refused interferon PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 12 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin \> 9 g/dL Hepatic * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Bilirubin ≤ 2.5 times ULN * Lactic dehydrogenase ≤ 1.5 times ULN * Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN * Hepatitis C negative Renal * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN Cardiovascular * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease Immunologic * HIV negative * No known or suspected allergy to any component of the study vaccines * No autoimmune disorder with visceral involvement * No prior active autoimmune disorder requiring cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy * The following immunologic conditions are allowed: * Laboratory evidence of autoimmune disease (e.g., positive anti-nuclear antibody titer) without symptoms * Clinical evidence of vitiligo * Other forms of depigmenting illness * Mild arthritis requiring non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Weight ≥ 110 lbs * No uncontrolled diabetes * Hemoglobin A1C \< 7% (for patients with diabetes) * No medical contraindication or potential problem that would preclude study compliance * No known active addiction to alcohol or drugs * No recent (within the past year) or ongoing illicit IV drug use PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * Prior vaccinations that resulted in recurrent disease during or after vaccine administration allowed provided the last vaccination was administered more than 12 weeks ago * Prior multi-epitope melanoma peptide vaccine that resulted in a negative immune response allowed * More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent interferon (e.g., Intron-A®), interleukins (e.g., Proleukin®), or growth factors (e.g., Procrit®, Aranesp®, or Neulasta®) * More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent allergy desensitization injections * No influenza vaccine for at least 2 weeks before or after study vaccine administration Chemotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas \[e.g., carmustine or lomustine\]) * No concurrent chemotherapy, including nitrosoureas Endocrine therapy * More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent oral or parenteral corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone) * No prior or concurrent inhaled steroids (e.g., Advair®, Flovent®, Azmacort®) * Concurrent topical corticosteroids allowed Radiotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent radiotherapy * Prior stereotactic radiosurgery allowed provided it was completed within the past 12 months Surgery * See Disease Characteristics * More than 4 weeks since prior surgical resection of metastatic lesion(s) * No concurrent surgery requiring general anesthesia Other * More than 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent investigational agents * More than 30 days since prior and no concurrent participation in another clinical study * No other concurrent immunosuppressive therapy