The Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP), an initiative of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), announced this week that it will conduct an independent, transparent review of the scientific evidence related to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
The announcement comes amid growing uncertainty around US vaccine policy and the dismantling of long-standing immunization recommendations.
The findings will be made public and are intended to inform clinicians, medical societies, and policymakers at a moment when evidence-based vaccine recommendations are increasingly being challenged.
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sharply criticized the HPV vaccine, calling it “the most dangerous vaccine ever invented” and falsely claiming it increases the risk of cervical cancer.
Earlier this week, HHS altered the childhood immunization schedule to recommend a single HPV dose at age 11 rather than the previously recommended two- or three-dose course. No supporting evidence about the impact on cervical cancer or the durability of protection was offered for the change, and the United States does not currently have a licensed single-dose HPV vaccine.
Vaccine linked to dramatic reductions in high-risk HPV
Since its introduction, the HPV vaccine has been associated with dramatic reductions in high-risk HPV, which causes most cervical cancers. Infection rates among teen girls have dropped by more than 85% and among young adult women by more than 80%.
“Any consideration of changes to HPV vaccine recommendations must be grounded in high-quality evidence,” said CIDRAP Director Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH. “Our goal is to ensure that policymakers, clinicians, and the public have an accurate understanding of what the data actually show.”
The HPV vaccine review builds on earlier VIP assessments of the hepatitis B birth dose and influenza, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines.
Established in April 2025, VIP seeks to provide trusted, independent evidence as debates over immunization policy intensify and existing vaccine schedules come under attack.
Today, VIP also announced the creation of a board of advisers to provide strategic guidance, scientific expertise, and independent advice to project staff. The board brings together nationally recognized leaders in medicine, public health, policy, communications, research, and government.
