Safety Concerns or Adverse Effects as the Main Reason for Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Refusal

Abstract

Vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) is effective at preventing several squamous cell carcinomas, yet the population-level uptake of the vaccine remains low in the US. Several factors contribute to HPV vaccine hesitancy and refusal; of note, safety concerns rank consistently high as a reason for nonvaccination.1,2 The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront the fragility of public confidence in the safety of vaccines.3 Therefore, this study examines safety concerns or adverse effects of the HPV vaccine as the main reason for nonvaccination over an 11-year period.