Identification of determinants associated with uptake of the first dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine in Denmark.

Background: The human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV vaccine) was introduced into the Danish Childhood Vaccination Programme in 2009. Following a national debate questioning the safety of the vaccine, the coverage decreased from an uptake of >90% for the first dose of the HPV vaccine to an uptake of 52% in girls born in 2003. The aim of this study was to identify changes in determinants for HPV vaccine hesitancy in the period when the debate spiraled and to identify determinants for specific hesitancy towards the HPV vaccine among girls who received the second dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.