SeCoNet study: centrality-based HPV vaccines outperform, network structure matters

A new preprint from Weiyi Wang and Mahendra Piraveenan examines how the structure of sexual contact networks determines the success of HPV vaccination campaigns. Using their SeCoNet (Sexual Contact Network) growth model, the authors simulated HPV transmission across synthetic networks with varying topologies, then tested five vaccination strategies: age-based, ring-based, and three centrality-based approaches (degree, betweenness, and percolation centrality). They tracked peak incidence, timing of peak prevalence, and cumulative incidence for both male and female cohorts.

The results are striking: centrality-based strategies universally outperformed age-based and ring-based approaches when looking at peak incidence reduction—with degree centrality cutting peak incidence by up to 40% in high-clustering networks. However, ring vaccination—which targets the sexual partners of infected individuals—produced the greatest reduction in cumulative incidence among females, reducing it by ~35% in strongly clustered networks. Network topology itself acts as a critical moderator: increasing average degree diminishes vaccine effectiveness, while higher power-law exponents, longer average shortest paths, and stronger clustering all amplify vaccination gains. The authors conclude that one-size-fits-all vaccination policies are suboptimal, and network-informed targeting could materially improve HPV control outcomes.