Table 1 Triggering events of peaks of the worldwide media coverage on HPV vaccines from 7 September to 23 December 2015^a

1^st peak, 14 September 2015

Study published by the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM, the French medicines agency) and the French health insurance, concluding that HPV vaccines do not increase the risk of autoimmune disorders but suggesting increase of the risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome [30]

Call by two Republican Party lawmakers in the USA towards schools to oppose mandatory HPV vaccination of middle school students in Rhode Island [31]

2^nd peak, 24 September 2015

Statement of the Catholic bishop in British Columbia, Canada, saying abstinence is the only healthy choice over HPV vaccination [32]

Announcement in Denmark of the replacement of Gardasil® by Cervarix® in the national HPV immunisation programme [33]

Report claiming that 1500 girls in Denmark have suspected adverse reactions to HPV vaccines [34]

3^rd peak, 22 October 2015

Study published in the journal Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention concluding that a quarter of doctors in the USA do not strongly endorse HPV vaccination [35]

4^th peak, 26 October 2015

Statement of the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS) endorsing the use of HPV vaccines [36]

Concerns in Denmark on the marketing authorisation holder’s restrictive search strategy on adverse effects of HPV vaccines [37]

Study published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about low HPV vaccine uptake among adolescent males in the USA [38]

5^th peak, 5 November 2015

Publication by the EMA of the PRAC outcome of the referral procedure, concluding that the evidence does not support a causal association between HPV vaccines and CRPS or POTS [23]

6^th peak, 10 December 2015

Statement by Health Canada referring to a review of international research data suggesting that there are no new risks associated with Gardasil® and that it can be used safely [39]