False claims about HPV vaccines continue to circulate online

Misinformation about the HPV vaccine has increased in recent weeks as social media accounts with large numbers of followers promote disproven claims about the vaccine. The potential for this misinformation to lead to vaccine hesitancy increases its risk. Messaging may emphasize that, while it is true that rates of some HPV-related cancers have increased in recent years, that trend began before the vaccine rollout and does not appear to be affecting the population targeted by HPV vaccines. Among young women, in particular, cervical cancer rates have decreased significantly since the vaccine’s approval. Explaining that multiple large-scale studies found that vaccinated women have lower cervical cancer rates, including a U.K. study that found an 87 percent reduction in cervical cancer among women who were vaccinated at age 12, is recommended. Messaging may also explain that, in the 17 years since the HPV vaccine’s approval, no serious safety concerns have been reported.

Fact-Checking Source(s):

• American Cancer Society, AP, Reuters