Caregivers of Adolescents' Motivators and Barriers to Vaccinating Children Against Human Papillomavirus.

Abstract

In the United States (US), acceptance of adolescent vaccines, as measured by vaccine uptake in adolescents, is high amongst caregivers. However, this does not routinely extend to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. In the US state of Georgia, HPV vaccine coverage rates remain suboptimal, especially when compared to other adolescent vaccines. Our study aims to identify and examine caregivers' motivators and barriers towards vaccinating their adolescents against HPV. We conducted nine focus groups with caregivers (n = 75) throughout the state. Using MAXQDA for thematic analysis, we identified common motivators and barriers related to adolescent HPV vaccine uptake amongst caregivers. Barriers reported include caregivers' inability to develop a trusting patient-provider relationship and HPV vaccine message framing issues. Motivators reported include caregivers' intrinsic need to protect their adolescents and trust their healthcare provider. Trust in healthcare providers was a key theme identified towards mitigating barriers and reinforcing motivators related to HPV vaccine acceptance and uptake. By improving patient-provider relationships throughout Georgia and streamlining digestible, representative vaccine information sharing across reputable sources, caregivers may become more receptive to vaccinating their adolescents.