Hello everyone. What are your thoughts on vaccines? In 2019, the Covid-19 suddenly emerged, spreading rapidly worldwide and significantly impacting work, education, and personal lives. One of the key issues that arose during this time was vaccine administration.Many people chose to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to reduce symptoms in case of infection. Others were hesitant, citing concerns about the short development Before we discuss vaccines, let’s take a closer look at cervical cancer. As the name suggests, cervical cancer develops in the cervix. In Japan, about 11,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, this number suggests that approximately 132 out of every 100,000 women are affected, with around 34 fatalities per 100,000.In Japan, the HPV vaccination rate was just 1.9% in 2019, marking the lowest rate among G7 countries. However, after the vaccine was re-recommended in April 2023, the rate gradually increased, approaching 40% by the end of that year. Despite this improvement, vaccination figures in most of the G7 nations exceed 50%, with countries like the UK (82.8%) and Australia (85%) reaching over 80%, indicating that Japan’s rates remain relatively low.So, why has the diffusion of the HPV vaccine been slow in Japan? The HPV vaccine was approved in the United States in 2006 and introduced in Japan in 2010, with routine vaccinations for women starting in 2013. However, the recommendation for routine vaccinations brought about considerable confusion. Many cases of chronic pain symptoms were reported that were not typically associated with vaccine side effects. Reacting to this occasion, the mass media highlighted these adverse events, featuring images of individuals with symptoms like spasms and memory disorders, with terms like “HANS syndrome” and timeline of the vaccines and reports of post-vaccine side effects. I fell into the latter group, as I struggled to trust a vaccine that was developed in such a short period and decided not to receive it.“Vaccines are meant to protect humanity.” In this article, I will focus on the vaccine situation in Japan and France, particularly examining the current status of the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer.For a long time, the cause of this disease was unknown, but in 1982, Dr. Zur Hausen discovered that infection of the HPV leads to cervical cancer. Most women will contract HPV at least once in their lifetime, and in some cases, this infection can progress to cancer. Thus, HPV vaccines have been developed with the foundation of the discovery. “vaccine injury” in their coverage. In response to these reports and lawsuits from victim advocacy groups, the government announced to halt active recommendations for the vaccine until a clear causal relationship was established. As a result, the number of vaccine recipients plummeted to below 1%.Fast forward to 2023, research showing similar symptoms in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, along with the accumulation of scientific evidence confirming the vaccine’s safety, led the government to resume its HPV vaccination recommendations. According to the WHO, the symptoms observed were linked to vaccination-related anxiety, termed “Immunization Stress-Related Response (ISRR).”This implies the key step toward addressing low rates for vaccines and tackling ISRR is to improve community understanding of the HPV vaccines. The government healthcare and educational institutions must convey accurate information.3Midori PedersonNeoma Business School, Rouen, France Cervical Cancer: The Facts Every Young Person Should Know The Current State of the HPV Vaccine: A Comparison Between Japan and FranceHPV Vaccines Today: Insights from Japan and France
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