Moral dilemma(s) in human papillomavirus vaccination - revisiting the role of the herd effect.

Abstract

In this Eurosurveillance issue, two articles by Colzani et al. [1] and Ortu et al. [2], raise the question of who should be prioritised in vaccination policy when there is a temporary global shortage of vaccines. These articles on human papillomavirus (HPV) are a reminder that discussions pertaining to vaccination policies are not confined to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Nonetheless, lessons learnt from the establishment of HPV vaccination are generalisable and valuable for the implementation and monitoring of most vaccination programmes, including those against COVID-19, worldwide.