A vaccine is developed to protect a child from disease. But for some parents, the decision to accept it comes with questions: Is it safe? What are its ingredients? Who benefits from its distribution? And could it have consequences that health authorities are not telling them about?
These questions are increasingly being shaped by information circulating online, including claims that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, administered to protect children against infections that can cause cervical and other cancers, could make girls infertile.
In Buea, Southwest Region of Cameroon, such concerns form part of a wider challenge facing health workers trying to improve vaccination acceptance in communities where misinformation, limited awareness and distrust can influence health decisions.
For Mr. Mokom Achu, a parent, the issue is not necessarily that vaccines are bad. Rather, he questions the interests behind their production and promotion.
“Generally, I think vaccines are good. But the problem that makes vaccines dangerous for my understanding is when financial interests and profits are involved,” he says.
Achu’s concerns are partly informed by his experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. He questions how quickly COVID-19 vaccines were developed compared with the lengthy processes he understands to be involved in vaccine development, including animal and human trials.
He also points to reports of medical conditions among people who received COVID-19 vaccines, arguing that these experiences have strengthened his doubts about vaccine safety. However, the fact that a medical condition occurs after vaccination does not, on its own, establish that the vaccine caused it. A causal relationship requires medical investigation and scientific evidence.
Achu also questions why newborns receive vaccines such as hepatitis B when their mothers may have tested negative for the infection. His concerns extend to the institutions and organisations involved in global health. Referring to claims about population reduction and vaccination, he questions whether vaccines distributed to communities are genuinely free or whether commercial interests influence their promotion.
“There is nothing free,” he argues, pointing to the financial interests involved in pharmaceutical production and healthcare.
Although Achu’s comments do not specifically address the HPV vaccine, they illustrate a broader challenge: when distrust extends to vaccines and the institutions promoting them, even established public health interventions can become subjects of suspicion.
When Misinformation Meets The Community
The spread of health misinformation presents a challenge because messages shared online can travel through trusted personal networks. A claim received from a family member, friend, religious leader or community group may be accepted without further verification, particularly when it reinforces existing fears.
For some parents, concerns about fertility are especially sensitive because they touch on their children’s future ability to have families. A message suggesting that a vaccine could affect fertility may therefore generate anxiety, even when it is unsupported by scientific evidence.
A study published in ‘Scientific Report’ on May 26, 2025, titled [“Factors associated with parental hesitancy towards the human papillomavirus vaccine: a cross-sectional study”, examined the views of 1,187 participants in the Buea Health District between August 2023 and March 2024.
Led by Monela Mah-Ngum Ntonifor and co-authors, the research identified several factors associated with parental HPV vaccine hesitancy. These included concerns about vaccine safety and side effects, distrust in the Ministry of Public Health and pharmaceutical companies, and lack of support from some religious leaders. Parents with lower educational attainment and those unaware of HPV and cervical cancer also had higher odds of vaccine hesitancy.
The findings suggest that vaccine hesitancy is influenced by more than the availability of vaccines. What people know, what they hear from others and whom they trust can also shape their decisions.
At Bova Community Health Centre, Nurse Ekone Brenda says some parents have expressed fears after encountering stories of children allegedly developing serious complications following vaccination.
She recalls visiting a community where a woman was reluctant to have her child vaccinated after watching a television report about a child who reportedly became paralysed and blind following vaccination.
“I advised them that the child might have had other complications before the vaccine was administered,” she explains.
Brenda says some parents are not necessarily opposed to vaccination but prefer to undergo medical checks before accepting it. Others miss vaccination campaigns simply because they are unaware that the campaigns are taking place.
Her experience highlights the different reasons behind vaccine hesitancy. While some parents are influenced by alarming stories, others need more information, reassurance or access to health services before making a decision.
Brenda says she encourages community members to seek explanations from health professionals rather than relying solely on rumours.
“I don’t believe that approved vaccines are bad, and I am encouraging community members to get vaccinated,” she says.
What Does The Science Say?
The claim that HPV vaccination causes infertility is not supported by established scientific evidence.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety reviewed available research on HPV vaccination and infertility following concerns reported in some countries. Its findings were published in the WHO’s Weekly Epidemiological Record on January 24, 2020, under the title “Human papilloma virus vaccines and infertility.”
The Committee reviewed nine relevant scientific articles, including studies examining premature ovarian insufficiency and the ability to conceive. It concluded that the available evidence did not support a causal relationship between HPV vaccination and infertility or premature ovarian insufficiency.
WHO also reported that more than 160 studies had been completed as part of research and post-licensure monitoring of HPV vaccines. The Committee described the vaccines’ safety profile as favourable, while noting that safety monitoring should continue.
HPV is a common infection associated with several cancers, including cervical cancer. Vaccination is intended to prevent infection from HPV types responsible for a substantial proportion of these cancers. Preventing cervical precancers and cancers can also help reduce the need for treatments that may affect fertility.
It is important to distinguish between an adverse event that occurs after immunisation and an adverse reaction proven to have been caused by a vaccine. A person may develop an illness after receiving a vaccine without the vaccine necessarily being responsible. Such cases require proper medical assessment and investigation.
For health workers, correcting misinformation therefore requires more than telling people that a claim is false. It also involves listening to their concerns, explaining the available evidence and helping them make informed decisions.
Buea’s Response To Vaccine Hesitancy
In Buea, health authorities and community stakeholders have attempted to address concerns through vaccination campaigns and community engagement.
A study published in the Pan African Medical Journal, on December 11, 2025, titled; “Multi-sectoral engagement to improve human papillomavirus vaccination uptake in a conflict-affected district of Cameroon, documented two intensified HPV vaccination campaigns in the Buea Health District.
The research was led by Martha Ndiko Ngoe, alongside Pamela Besong Oben, Nchanji Stanly Ngala, Laura Nini-Kumi Wantim, Nebongo Daniel Nebongo and Sylvester Nji Toh. The authors were affiliated with the Ministry of Public Health’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation, the Buea District Health Service and UNICEF.
The first campaign, conducted from November 1 to 3, 2024, vaccinated 5,459 adolescents, representing 32 per cent coverage. The second, held from July 18 to 21, 2025, vaccinated 1,862 adolescents, representing 11 per cent coverage.
The intervention covered seven health areas: Bova, Bokwango, Buea Road, Molyko, Muea, Tole and Likoko. Strategies included engaging education and religious leaders, organising Parent-Teacher Association sessions, conducting school-based and community vaccination activities, and using radio and television discussions to address myths and concerns.
The researchers reported that teachers and religious leaders played important roles in countering rumours, while acceptance was higher than in previous years.
However, the figures also show that vaccination uptake remained low during the two campaign rounds. They should not be interpreted as proof that misinformation alone caused low coverage. The study also identifies challenges linked to displacement, insecurity, school attendance and disruptions to health services.
At the community level, health workers such as Ekone Brenda are part of the response. She says she tries to reassure parents by explaining that vaccines administered through public health programmes undergo safety assessment and regulatory processes before being made available for use.
But public reassurance must be accompanied by clear explanations. Parents need to understand how vaccines are assessed, what possible side effects to expect, where to report suspected adverse events and where to obtain reliable medical advice.
Beyond Debunking The Rumours
The challenge of health misinformation does not end when a fact-check is published or a health authority issues a clarification. The original message may continue circulating, while the correction may never reach everyone who encountered the misinformation.
For journalists and fact-checkers, this creates a responsibility to investigate not only whether a health claim is accurate, but also how it spreads, why people believe it and what decisions it may influence.
For communities, the response requires accessible and consistent communication from health professionals and institutions. Parents need opportunities to ask questions, understand the available scientific evidence and make informed decisions without feeling dismissed or judged.
As Cameroon continues efforts to improve HPV vaccination, the challenge is not simply getting vaccines into health facilities or schools. It is also ensuring that people have access to accurate information and the confidence to make informed health decisions.
Because when an unverified health claim travels faster than the evidence, its consequences can extend beyond a phone screen and into the decisions that shape people’s lives.