La retirada de una campaña publicitaria para promoción de la vacuna tetravalente del virus del papiloma humano en España

Abstract

La inclusión de la vacuna tetravalente del virus del papiloma humano (VPH) en el Sistema Nacional de Salud aviva el debate sobre Gardasil®, presentada ante la opinión pública como «la vacuna contra el cáncer de cérvix». En este contexto, Sanofi Pasteur MSD es demandada por publicidad engañosa por la campaña cuentaselo.org. Pese a que la querella no se admite a trámite, la acción desencadena cinco cambios en la titularidad del dominio de la web que, avalada por sociedades científicas, queda sin razón legal. Por vulnerar la Ley de la Sociedad de Servicios de la Información, y ante la sospecha de que detrás está la farmacéutica (que no puede hacer publicidad de su producto), la plataforma para la moratoria de la vacuna del virus del papiloma humano reclama a la Sociedad Española de Ginecología y Obstetricia (presente en la web) ante Autocontrol. Sanofi Pasteur MSD, anunciante no mencionado, «acepta la reclamación y da de baja la web», corroborando así su implicación.

The inclusion of the quadrivalent human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in the schedule of the Spanish National Health System sparked the debate over Gardasils, which was presented to the public as a ‘‘vaccine against cervical cancer’’. In this context, Sanofi Pasteur MSD was sued for misleading advertising in the campaign "cuentaselo.org". Although the complaint was not admitted, the lawsuit triggered five changes in the ownership of the web domain which, although backed by scientific societies, was not supported by law. Because of the violation of the Law of the Society of Information Services, and prompted by the suspicion that the pharmaceutical company was behind these changes (as it could not advertise the product), the platform for the moratorium on the HPV vaccine filed a complaint against the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (whose logo appeared on the webpage) for breaching the code of advertising self-regulation. Sanofi Pasteur MSD, the advertiser which was not mentioned, "accepted the complaint and removed the webpage", thus corroborating its involvement.