HPV Vaccine Safety Concerns Must Be Addressed

The JAMA Pediatrics published on June 28, 2021, a new article regarding the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake in the USA. The HPV vaccine has been found effective at preventing several squamous cell carcinomas, yet the population-level uptake of HPV vaccines remains low.

Several factors contribute to HPV vaccine hesitancy and refusal; of note, safety concerns rank consistently high as a reason for HPV non-vaccination for adolescents by their parent or guardian.

Considering recent evidence of slowing routine HPV vaccination uptake, addressing safety concerns about vaccines should be of utmost public health importance.

Second, the findings of this study suggest that disinformation campaigns aimed at hampering vaccine trust. There has been a substantial rise of vaccine misinformation in the USA, culminating in public mistrust in vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

'While our findings point to a need for widespread dissemination of educational programs within the general population, it is also crucial that public health agencies work with social media companies to develop campaigns to combat misinformation online.'

'Lastly, physicians have a crucial frontline role to play in addressing vaccine hesitancy during parent-physician encounters,' stated these researchers.