A School-Based Intervention to Increase HPV Vaccination Rates.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Vaccinology
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes over 33,000 cancer diagnoses annually in the U.S.
• HPV vaccination rates lag behind other preteen immunizations by 25%-30%.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance HPV vaccination rates in adolescents at a school-based health center (SBHC).
• To evaluate the impact of provider recommendations and parent education on HPV vaccine acceptance.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a policy for reviewing immunization records at every visit.
• Provided parents with written HPV vaccine recommendations and educational materials.
• Tracked HPV vaccine acceptance over an 8-week period.

Main Results:

• 36 students were identified as not having received the HPV vaccine.
• Following interventions, 15 parents consented to HPV vaccination for their child.
• This resulted in a 1400% increase in HPV vaccine acceptance compared to 2017.

Conclusions:

• SBHC-based initiatives effectively increase HPV vaccine acceptance.
• Provider recommendations are crucial for improving vaccination rates.
• The program also positively impacted acceptance of other adolescent vaccines.