TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A content claiming that administering the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to children is a form of guinea pig testing and endangers children's lives circulated on Instagram [archive] on February 17, 2026.
The content contained a screenshot of a Kompas.com news story about plans to administer the HPV vaccine to 11-year-old boys in 2027. The screenshot was linked to a clip of a man refusing the vaccine. The account owner wrote that Indonesia was among the first countries to trial vaccines for cancer and tuberculosis.
But is it true that HPV vaccinations for children are used as guinea pigs and endanger their lives?
FACT CHECK
Tempo's Fact Check team interviewed epidemiologists and compared their findings with credible sources. The results showed that the HPV vaccine is intended to protect children from cancer, not to endanger their lives.
Video Clip Not Related to HPV Vaccine Refusal
The clip shows a man refusing the vaccine on January 27, 2022. The man was protesting at the Ministry of Health building against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.
This footage is identical to the Official iNews and Seputar iNews news broadcasts on RCTI. Therefore, the clip is completely unrelated to the rejection of the HPV vaccine, which will only be available to 11-year-old boys in 2027.
Meanwhile, the Kompas.com report used in the screenshot states that providing HPV vaccination to boys aims to extend protection against transmission of the virus, the primary cause of cervical cancer.
HPV Vaccination to Prevent Cervical Cancer, Not an Experimental Product
Indonesian epidemiologist and researcher from Griffith University, Dicky Budiman, stated that the development of the HPV vaccine has undergone a long process in accordance with international standards. The research began with preclinical research and laboratory testing, and continued with animal testing. Before reaching the public, the HPV vaccine passed phases one through four clinical trials involving thousands of participants.
The first HPV vaccine was approved 20 years ago, in 2006, by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Medicine Agency, and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"This means this vaccine is suitable and safe for global use. It is no longer an experimental product," Budiman told Tempo on February 23, 2026.
According to Budiman, more than 125 countries have included the HPV vaccine in their national immunization programs. Research results have shown a significant reduction in cases of HPV infections, including genital warts, precancerous cervical lesions, and cervical cancer in young adults.
Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori, a researcher and virologist from Airlangga University (UNAIR), also explained the main reason why this vaccine is given to elementary school children aged 9-13. According to him, administering the vaccine to children ensures maximum protection before they are exposed to the virus in the future.
According to immunogenicity studies, children in this age range have a much stronger and more stable immune response than adults. Therefore, long-term protection against cervical cancer can be achieved more optimally with a smaller dose.
"This effort is a globally proven preventive strategy to break the chain of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) transmission early," said Arif.
Several Studies Reveal the Effectiveness of the HPV Vaccine in Reducing Cancer
The first HPV vaccine was developed in the 1990s by researchers in Australia. After its introduction in 2006, it was effective against four major types of HPV. A second HPV vaccine, introduced in 2014, expanded its coverage to protect against additional cancer-causing HPV types.
In large, randomized clinical trials, studies have shown that early vaccination can reduce the risk of serious cervical cell changes by up to 99 percent for the HPV types most commonly causing cervical cancer.
In the UK, young people vaccinated at school showed significantly lower rates of cervical cancer compared to older age groups when they reached the same age. In the youngest group, which had a vaccination rate of 89%, the cervical cancer rate was approximately 87% lower than in the oldest age group.
Significant declines in cervical cancer rates have also been observed in other countries with high vaccination rates.
Currently, HPV vaccination rates remain very low in many countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. In fact, based on projections by Kate T. Simms and her colleagues, if vaccination rates reached 80 percent to 100 percent for boys and girls, plus vaccination for adults, nearly 50 million cases of cervical cancer could be prevented by 2100.
CONCLUSION
Tempo's verification concluded that the claim that HPV vaccination in children is a guinea pig and endangers children's lives is false.
TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM
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