Safety of HPV vaccines in the age of nonavalent vaccination

Abstract

To date three vaccines against human papilloma virus (HPV) have been licensed: a bivalent, a quadrivalent and, in 2014, a nonavalent vaccine. Despite the early implementation of national vaccination programs, in the majority of developed countries coverage rates remain unsatisfactory. Rumors about vaccine safety have been one of the principal obstacles for the acceptance of HPV vaccination by the public. It is therefore of primary importance to provide the public with clear and up-to-date information about HPV vaccination safety. To this aim, in this narrative review we will summarize safety data from pre and postlicensure studies for the three HPV vaccines available with a focus on the safety profile of the new nonavalent vaccine.