Independent expert group to review HPV vaccine evidence after US recommendation change
An independent expert group, the Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), has announced it will conduct a scientific evidence review of the HPV vaccine.12
The move follows a recent change in US recommendations, in which federal health officials revised the childhood immunization schedule to recommend a single HPV vaccine dose at age 11, instead of the previously recommended two- or three-dose series.12
The new single-dose recommendation did not go through the traditional CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) review process and does not match the current FDA approval for Merck’s Gardasil, which is licensed as a two‑dose regimen (or three doses for some ages).2
According to reports, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. previously fired all 17 ACIP members in June and replaced them with like‑minded advisers, ending the usual external expert review pathway for vaccine schedule changes.2
This week’s HPV schedule revision was instead based on a rapid internal review by senior HHS staff, who compared vaccine schedules from other high‑income countries, after pressure from President Donald Trump and Kennedy to reduce childhood vaccinations.2
VIP was established in 2025 to provide independent, transparent vaccine evidence reviews, aiming to fill the gap left by changes to traditional US vaccine advisory structures and to counter growing uncertainty around vaccine policy.123
VIP’s HPV review will assess effectiveness, safety, dose schedules, and durability of protection, and its findings will be made public to inform clinicians, medical societies, and policymakers.12
World Health Organization guidance and emerging research had informed ACIP’s earlier, unfinished work suggesting a single HPV dose might be sufficient for cancer prevention, but ACIP was disbanded before completing its review.26
Experts note that important unresolved questions remain about a one‑dose regimen, including its suitability for older teens, immunocompromised individuals, and differences by sex, and the long‑term durability of protection.2
VIP is funded by the Alumbra Innovations Foundation (linked to philanthropist Christy Walton) and reports that it does not accept pharmaceutical industry funding, to reinforce its independence.2
The same group has already produced independent reviews on changes to recommendations for flu, COVID‑19, RSV, and hepatitis B vaccines, and is now extending this work to HPV.12
Sources:
1. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project/vaccine-integrity-project-will-conduct-independent-review-hpv-vaccine
2. https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/health/3764129-independent-expert-group-to-review-hpv-vaccine-evidence-after-us-recommendation-change?amp
3. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/first-edition-friday-jan-9-2026/
6. https://www.who.int/initiatives/cervical-cancer-elimination-initiative