title: HPV vaccines: a controversial issue?
abstract: Controversy still exists over whether the benefits of the available HPV vaccines outweigh the risks and this has suppressed uptake of the HPV vaccines in comparison to other vaccines. Concerns about HPV vaccine safety have led some physicians, healthcare officials and parents to withhold the recommended vaccination from the target population. The most common reason for not administering the prophylactic HPV vaccines are concerns over adverse effects. The aim of this review is the assessment of peer-reviewed scientific data related to measurable outcomes from the use of HPV vaccines throughout the world with focused attention on the potential adverse effects. We found that the majority of studies continue to suggest a positive risk-benefit from vaccination against HPV, with minimal documented adverse effects, which is consistent with other vaccines. However, much of the published scientific data regarding the safety of HPV vaccines appears to originate from within the financially competitive HPV vaccine market. We advocate a more independent monitoring system for vaccine immunogenicity and adverse effects to address potential conflicts of interest with regular systematic literature reviews by qualified individuals to vigilantly assess and communicate adverse effects associated with HPV vaccination. Finally, our evaluation suggests that an expanded use of HPV vaccine into more diverse populations, particularly those living in low-resource settings, would provide numerous health and social benefits.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Médicas, Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Nicol
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Saúde da Mulher, Fiocruz, da Criança e do Adolescente Fernandes Figueira, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Saúde da Mulher, Fiocruz, da Criança e do Adolescente Fernandes Figueira, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Russomano
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: L L S
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Médicas, Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Fiocruz, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Provance
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D014611:Vaccination / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines