TITLE:
Clinician Misperceptions about the Importance of Adolescent HPV Vaccination
AUTHORS:
Martin C. Mahoney, Frances G. Saad-Harfouche, Christy A. Widman, Annamaria Masucci Twarozek, Deborah O. Erwin, Elisa M. Rodriguez
KEYWORDS:
Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, Adolescents, Cancer Prevention, Clinical Medicine
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Vaccines,
Vol.6 No.1,
February
29,
2016
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Adolescent HPV vaccination rates remain suboptimal. The purpose of the study was
to investigate attitudes about HPV vaccine relative to other adolescent vaccines among clinical
staff from primary care offices and school based clinics. Methods: We interviewed clinicians in
primary care offices and school-based clinics regarding their attitudes about HPV vaccine relative
to Tdap and MCV4. Results: Respondents (n = 36) included clinical staff in family medicine (47%),
pediatrics (25%), obstetrics/gynecology (19%) and school-based health clinics (8%). Only 3%
strongly agreed and 17% agreed that completion of HPV vaccine was more important than completion
of pertussis vaccine (Tdap), while 6% strongly agreed and 33% agreed that completion of
HPV vaccine was more important than completion of meningitis vaccine (MCV4). Discussion: Providing
clinicians with additional information about the cancer prevention benefits of the HPV vaccine
and the greater risk for HPV infection/disease relative to other vaccine preventable adolescent
diseases may help to increase HPV vaccination rates among adolescents.