Recent advances in prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination: a review of key literature published between September 2017 and September 2018.

Prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines represent a revolutionary approach in preventing and potentially eliminating HPV-related cancers. Overwhelming real-life data are confirming the high efficacy and exceptional safety profile of all three prophylactic HPV vaccines currently available, which was previously shown in pivotal clinical trials. In this review, we summarized and discussed in our opinion the most influential peer-reviewed literature published between September 2017 and September 2018; that is, during the 2017/2018 school year in Slovenia. We mainly focus on publications on progress and the development of novel prophylactic HPV vaccines, efficacy clinical trials evaluating various dosing schemes and HPV vaccination of alternative populations, and studies contributing to the mounting evidence for the real-life effectiveness of prophylactic HPV vaccines from several countries with successfully implemented HPV vaccination programs. In addition, we present the most important safety data from large population-based cohorts evaluating potential adverse events, briefly describe the most notable HPV vaccine-related crises, and provide insight into various responses by healthcare authorities that have resulted in markedly different outcomes in the vaccination perception of the general population and, consequently, HPV vaccine uptake. Finally, global disparities in access to HPV vaccines reveal substantial gender and socioeconomic inequity that must be overcome to achieve a large population impact of HPV vaccines worldwide.