HPV vaccine prevents cancer, but new ACIP working group will re-examine evidence.

An op‑ed reports that HPV vaccination has led to large reductions in cervical cancer and precancer in multiple countries, and that a newly formed ACIP working group plans a multi‑year comprehensive review of the vaccine’s efficacy, safety, and dosing, including questions about single‑dose protection and adjuvant concerns.

The op‑ed notes that HPV vaccination has been linked to large declines in cervical cancer and precancer in countries with high coverage, and that a newly formed working group under the reconstituted Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been chartered to conduct a multi‑year comprehensive review of the vaccine’s evidence. It describes that this new review expands beyond the main unresolved question—single‑dose durability—to include adjuvant safety, potential contaminants, and HPV type replacement. The piece also recounts that ACIP was reconstituted in mid‑2025 and that a prior HPV working group had been preparing for a vote on dose schedule changes before the membership change. The op‑ed expresses concern about conflicts of interest and about the composition and transparency of the new working group. Key facts: - Population studies cited include an 88% lower risk of invasive cervical cancer in Sweden for those vaccinated before age 17, an 87% reduction in cervical cancer and a 97% drop in highest‑grade precancerous lesions in England for girls vaccinated at 12–13, and an 86% reduction reported in Denmark for women vaccinated before 17; Australia has reported steep declines in genital warts and is on a trajectory toward elimination of cervical cancer as a public‑health problem. - The article states that more than 70 randomized controlled trials have evaluated HPV vaccines and that over 135 million doses have been administered in the United States. - The World Health Organization's Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety is reported as having classified HPV vaccines as "extremely safe," noting serious allergic reactions are rare (about three per million doses). - The new ACIP working group’s charter, finalized in December 2025, directs review of efficacy, effectiveness, safety, adjuvant toxicity, potential contaminants, and HPV type replacement; the op‑ed says the new group’s membership has not been publicly disclosed and that some professional society liaisons were excluded. - The op‑ed highlights an evidence gap: published single‑dose efficacy and duration data come from studies in females, and it notes there are no single‑dose efficacy or immunogenicity data for males in the published record. Summary: The op‑ed argues that the HPV vaccine’s benefits against cervical precancer and cancer have been demonstrated across trials and population studies, while a reconstituted ACIP has launched a broader, multi‑year review that includes questions of safety, dosing, and adjuvants. It reports that a prior working group had been preparing specific policy questions on age and dose schedule before ACIP was replaced, and it raises concerns about transparency and conflicts of interest surrounding the new review. The piece warns that extended review and uncertainty could influence vaccination coverage. Undetermined at this time.