Can you get HPV just from standing across from someone?
Is there a way to ensure 100 percent protection from HPV without a vaccine?
“Furthermore, there is every reason to think that herd immunity dynamics affect HPV.”
Well sure. The problem is that herd immunity in HPV is substantially weaker, than it is for DPT or MMR. Which is why we should not vaccinate against it.
You seem to argue that a woman should not vaccinate themselves for this. But if they anticipate having sex with partners who may or may not be infected, and the vaccine lowers their risk of getting cervical cancer by 70%, and of getting genital warts by 90%, why wouldn’t that be a good thing for them?
Your argument may apply against requiring mandatory vaccination, but it doesn’t support your conclusion that we “should not vaccinate against it”.
We do treatments for lots of things that have no “herd immunity” effects. We vaccinate people each year for the flu, not because it will stop an outbreak, but in order to protect those who are most susceptible to the flu and most likely to have serious consequences if they get sick. Why would the HPV vaccine not fall into that same category?
You know, you can 100% protect against the flu — lock yourself in the house, get filters, and avoid contact. More seriously, you can protect yourself to SOME degree, by washing your hands often, not shaking hands with people, and wearing masks. That’s what some people do, and in some countries it’s a prevalent thing.
To suggest that because we can’t protect against something 100%, there’s no point in doing anything at all, seems short-sighted. Seat belts don’t save you from all accidents, but we wear them even though they don’t prevent accidents because they do keep us from dying as often. Why isn’t the HPV vaccination in that same category as seat belts?
Again, I think you are arguing against mandatory vaccination, but you keep saying things like “we should not vaccinate against it” which suggests you want to ban the vaccine.