Abstract
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provides protection from six HPV-related cancers. Approximately half of South Carolina adolescents have not completed the vaccination series, representing a missed opportunity to prevent cancer. The HPV Vaccination NOW: This is Our Moment social media campaign is an initiative of the South Carolina Cancer Alliance (SCCA) and Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). This statewide social media campaign aimed to increase parental awareness of and build vaccine confidence around HPV vaccination in S.C. The ten-week campaign was strategically implemented between June and August 2019 to encourage HPV vaccination at back-to-school medical appointments. A process evaluation showed that the campaign resulted in over 370,000 total impressions, reached over 33,000 individuals, and culminated with over 1122 followers. There were over 2700 engagements on Facebook and Twitter. A qualitative content analysis indicated that pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine comments were dominated by personal stories. Comments promoting misinformation about the HPV vaccine were often countered through peer-to-peer dialogue. Findings suggest that creating opportunities for the target audience to engage with campaign messages effectively corrected misinformation.
Highlights
The United States (U.S.) could eliminate cervical cancer by 2059 through increasing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and improving participation in cervical cancer screening and treatment [1]
This study contributed to the call by scholars to better understand public health strategies to address misinformation and disseminate accurate information on social media [29]
Despite the strengths and success of the campaign, the results are limited by the real-world conditions in which this study was conducted
Summary
The United States (U.S.) could eliminate cervical cancer by 2059 through increasing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and improving participation in cervical cancer screening and treatment [1]. Research shows the importance of a nonavalent vaccine to improve protection against HPV infections [3]. In the U.S, HPV causes approximately 35,900 of the 45,300 new cases of HPVassociated cancer among men and women each year [4]. A recent study in Sweden found that HPV vaccination was associated with a significantly reduced risk of invasive cervical cancer [5]. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a global movement to eliminate cervical cancer by increasing HPV vaccination, screening, and treatment [6]. HPV infection can cause cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers in women and penile cancer in men.
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