Japan's HPV vaccine crisis: act now to avert cervical cancer cases and deaths

In May, 2013, a cluster of adverse events suspected to be linked to HPV vaccination were reported in the Japanese media, prompting the Japanese Government to suspend proactive recommendations for the vaccine in June, 2013. Despite no evidence of a link with HPV vaccination being found in the local investigation, and calls by WHO and the global scientific community to resume active recommendation of the cancer-preventing vaccine, the proactive recommendation of HPV vaccination remains suspended in Japan.