title: Just implementation of human papillomavirus vaccination.
abstract: Many countries are now implementing human papillomavirus vaccination. There is disagreement about who should receive the vaccine. Some propose vaccinating both boys and girls in order to achieve the largest possible public health impact. Others regard this approach as too costly and claim that only girls should be vaccinated. We question the assumption that decisions about human papillomavirus vaccination policy should rely solely on estimates of overall benefits and costs. There are important social justice aspects that also need to be considered. Policy makers should consider how to best protect individuals who will remain unvaccinated through no fault of their own. This is especially important if these individuals are already disadvantaged in other ways and if vaccinating other people increases their risk of infection.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Studies of Meaning, Ethics and Society (CERSES), Université Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Sts. Pères, 75270 Paris Cedex 06, France. erik.malmqvist@parisdescartes.fr
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malmqvist
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Natunen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehtinen
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Helgesson
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000941:ethics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000941:ethics*; D008297:Male; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011634:Public Health / Q000941:ethics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012935:Social Justice; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000941:ethics
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines