title: The promise of the human papillomavirus vaccine does not confer immunity against ethical reflection.
abstract: The recent announcement of an experimental vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) has raised great hopes and expectations. Promising trial results, however, should not obscure ethical issues related to a vaccine's ultimate dissemination. Although lay media might view an HPV vaccine as a panacea, a more complicated ethical reality exists, touching upon public knowledge, health care disparities, and parental consent for childhood vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Ethics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA. imd2001@med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Melo-Martín
mesh_terms: D026688:Bioethical Issues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000276:immunology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011322:Primary Prevention; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D014765:Viral Vaccines