It is becoming clear that there are significant differences between the two principal human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, namely the bivalent vaccine and the quadrivalent vaccine. Both vaccines contain HPV16 and HPV18, together responsible for approximately 73% of cases of cervical cancer. The quadrivalent vaccine also contains HPV6 and HPV11, thus protecting against genital warts. Real-world data show 89% efficacy for the bivalent vaccine against cervical intraepithelial neoplasia stage 3, irrespective of the HPV type involved, versus 64% for the quadrivalent vaccine. This suggests superior cross-reactivity of the bivalent vaccine against oncogenic HPV types not contained in the vaccine, presumably thanks to the MPLA adjuvant in the vaccine. In the Netherlands, the cross-reactivity of the bivalent vaccine may ultimately lead to a significant additional reduction of cervical cancer deaths per year. Since protection against genital warts should not be pursued at the expense of protection against cervical cancer, we recommend that the Netherlands continue to use the bivalent vaccine in its national immunisation programme.