Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among a national sample of United States adults ages 18–45: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

To assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected catch-up HPV vaccination among age-eligible adults (ages 18–45). The current study leverages a national, cross-sectional sample of US adults ages 18–45 years to assess the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions to catch-up HPV vaccination in 2021. The sample was restricted to adults intending to receive the HPV vaccine. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the probability of 1) pandemic-related HPV vaccination disruption and 2) uncertainty about pandemic-related HPV vaccination disruption. Report of ‘no pandemic-related HPV vaccination disruption’ served as the reference category. Among adults intending to get the HPV vaccine (n = 1,683), 8.6 % reported pandemic-related HPV vaccination disruption, 14.7 % reported uncertainty about vaccination disruption, and 76.7 % reported no disruption. Factors associated with higher odds of pandemic-related vaccination disruption included non-English language preference (OR: 3.20; 95 % CI: 1.99–5.13), being a parent/guardian (OR: 1.77; 95 % CI: 1.18–2.66), having at least one healthcare visit in the past year (OR: 1.97; 95 % CI: 1.10–3.53), being up-to-date on the tetanus vaccine (OR: 1.81; 95 % CI: 1.19–2.75), and being a cancer survivor (OR: 2.57; 95 % CI: 1.52–4.34). Catch-up HPV vaccination for age-eligible adults is a critical public health strategy for reducing HPV-related cancers. While a small percentage of adults reported pandemic-related disruptions to HPV vaccination, certain adults (e.g., individuals with a non-English language preference and cancer survivors) were more likely to report a disruption. Interventions may be needed that increase accessibility of catch-up HPV vaccination among populations with reduced healthcare access during the pandemic.