‘Seriously flawed’ study linking behavioural problems to HPV vaccine Gardasil has been retracted

Retraction Watch reports that a paper published online in the journal Vaccine last month and temporarily removed weeks later has now officially been retracted. The paper, which drew a connection between behavioural problems in mice and the vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), has been replaced by this notice:

“This article has been withdrawn at the request of the Editor-in-Chief due to serious concerns regarding the scientific soundness of the article. Review by the Editor-in-Chief and evaluation by outside experts, confirmed that the methodology is seriously flawed, and the claims that the article makes are unjustified. As an international peer-reviewed journal we believe it is our duty to withdraw the article from further circulation, and to notify the community of this issue.”

Co-author Christopher A. Shaw of the University of British Columbia told Retraction Watch that although the findings in mice could not be directly linked to any health implications in humans, he believed the results of the study showed that Gardasil, the vaccine questioned in the study, should face greater scrutiny.

The retraction comes just days after reports that Gardasil seems to be significantly decreasing HPV rates in women. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that can lead to genital warts, but certain strains of it are linked to much more serious illness: About 70 per cent of cases of cervical cancer in US women are caused by two strains of the virus. The vast majority of studies (including reviews by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) have concluded that the vaccine is safe. The CDC recommends that all children ages 11 or 12 get the vaccine, and some school districts now require it for girls.

But as with any vaccine, Gardasil has its naysayers: Although actual rates of reported severe adverse effects are quite low (and none have been conclusively linked to the vaccine), anecdotal reports have been used as evidence against the drug’s safety. The European Medicines Agency is working on an investigation of these reported symptoms, but emphasised that the review “does not question that the benefits of HPV vaccines outweigh their risks”.

Along with co-author Lucija Tomljenovic, Shaw has previously been blasted for two studies suggesting that the aluminum content in vaccines could be linked to autism. Those studies were also deemed “seriously flawed” and condemned by the World Health Organisation.