Abstract
This study aimed to examine the level of knowledge, attitude, acceptance, and willingness to pay (WTP) for HPV vaccination among female parents of girls aged 12-15 years in Thailand. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in eight schools across Bangkok. Of 1,200 questionnaires sent out, a total of 861 questionnaires were received. Knowledge regarding the HPV vaccine among parents was quite low. Only half of the parents knew about the link between HPV and cervical cancer while one-third of them knew that the vaccine should be administered to the children before they become sexually active. Nevertheless, vaccine acceptance was high if it was offered for free: 76.9% for the bivalent and 74.4% for the quadrivalent vaccine. The proportion of respondents who were willing to copay for the vaccine if it was not totally free was also high, ranging from 68.9% for the bivalent to 67.3% for the quadrivalent vaccine. No significant difference between bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines in terms of prevalence of acceptance and willingness to pay was found. About one-third of the participants, who were willing to copay for the vaccine if it was not offered for free, indicated that they would copay less than 500 baht (30 baht = approx US$1) for three doses of bivalent vaccine. Substantial effort should be made to educate parents prior to introduction of a national HPV vaccination program. In terms of acceptance, either bivalent or quadrivalent vaccines can be recommended.
Highlights
Cervical cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death among females worldwide (Ferlay et al, 2008)
This study aimed to examine the level of knowledge, attitude, acceptance, and willingness to pay (WTP) for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among female parents of girls aged 12-15 years in Thailand
Our study aims to evaluate the willingness of Thai female parents to vaccinate their daughters against HPV if it is free of charge or if it is not free of charge, and to examine their current knowledge regarding HPV vaccine and cervical cancer
Summary
Cervical cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death among females worldwide (Ferlay et al, 2008). Given the prevalence and burden of cervical cancer, the public health benefits of the HPV vaccine are substantial. Two types of vaccine, bivalent and quadrivalent, are available. Both types of vaccine have proven efficacy against HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases (National Cancer Institute, 2011). Vaccine acceptance was high if it was offered for free: 76.9% for the bivalent and 74.4% for the quadrivalent vaccine. The proportion of respondents who were willing to copay for the vaccine if it was not totally free was high, ranging from 68.9% for the bivalent to 67.3% for the quadrivalent vaccine. No significant difference between bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines in terms of prevalence of acceptance and willingness to pay was found. Either bivalent or quadrivalent vaccines can be recommended
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