The percentage of teenage girls getting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been close to zero since the country's 2013 decision not to promote the jab as panic erupted over alleged side effects amid misinformation and weak policy
Junior high school students return home from school in Tokyo, March 15,2020. Authorities will actively recommend and share information about HPV vaccine, which is free for girls aged 12-16 in Japan and has been found safe in extensive trials, from April 1, 2022. (Credit: Kazuhiro Nogi/ AFP)