School-based Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Program Research Articles

Cost-effectiveness analysis of single-dose or 2-dose of bivalent, quadrivalent, or nonavalent HPV vaccine in a low/middle-income country setting.

To compare the health impact and economic benefits among individuals who did not receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to those who received a single dose, or 2 doses. The comparison was stratified by 4 types of vaccine in conjunction with primary HPV screening in a low/middle-income country setting. A Markov model was employed to simulate HPV infection and cervical cancer in a cohort of 100,000 12-year-old girls free of HPV. The study scrutinized 9 strategies: 1 dose and 2 doses of 2vHPV (Cervarix®), 2vHPV (Cecolin®), 4vHPV (Gardasil®), 9vHPV vaccine (Gardasil9®), and no vaccination. The primary outcome measure was the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of each strategy. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were estimated over a lifetime horizon, accompanied by sensitivity analyses conducted. All vaccination programs yielded 41,298-71,057 QALYs gained accompanied by cost savings of 14,914,186-19,821,655 USD compared to no vaccination. Administering 2 doses of 9vHPV vaccine emerged as the most cost-effective strategy, boasting 406 USD/QALY, within a lower willingness to pay threshold. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated an 80% probability of the cost-effectiveness of the 2 doses of 9vHPV vaccine regimen. Furthermore, uncertainty around the costs of vaccination and vaccine efficacy exerted the most substantial influence on the cost-effectiveness findings. Oping for 2 doses of 9vHPV vaccine in conjunction with a primary HPV screening represents the most cost-effective option for implementing a school-based HPV vaccination program targeting 12-year-old girls in Thailand. Such findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in the realm of cervical cancer prevention.

Impact of the human papillomavirus vaccine in low-resource settings

Impact of the human papillomavirus vaccine in low-resource settings

Impact of including boys in the national school-based human papillomavirus vaccination programme in Singapore: A modelling-based cost-effectiveness analysis.

Globally, gender-neutral Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes are gaining traction. Although cervical cancer remains the most prevalent, other HPV-related cancers are increasingly recognised as important, especially among men who have sex with men. We assessed if including adolescent boys in Singapore's school-based HPV vaccination programme is cost-effective from the healthcare perspective. We adapted a World Health Organization-supported model, Papillomavirus Rapid Interface for Modelling and Economics, and modelled the cost and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) associated with vaccinating 13-year-olds with the HPV vaccine. Cancer incidence and mortality rates were obtained from local sources and adjusted based on the expected direct and indirect vaccine protection for various population subgroups at an 80% vaccine coverage. Moving to a gender-neutral vaccination programme with a bivalent or nonavalent vaccine could avert 30 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 20-44) and 34 (95% UI: 24-49) HPV-related cancers per birth cohort, respectively. At a 3% discount rate, a gender-neutral vaccination programme is not cost-effective. However, with a 1.5% discount rate, which puts more value on long-term health gains from vaccination, moving to a gender-neutral vaccination programme with the bivalent vaccine is likely cost-effective, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of SGD$19 007 (95% UI: 10 164-30 633) per QALY gained. The findings suggest the need to engage experts to examine, in detail, the cost-effectiveness of gender-neutral vaccination programmes in Singapore. Issues of drug licensing, feasibility, gender equity, global vaccine supplies, and the global trend towards disease elimination/eradication should also be considered. This model provides a simplified method for resource-strapped countries to gain a preliminary estimate of the cost-effectiveness of a gender-neutral HPV vaccination programme before investing resources for further research.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Uptake in the Rio Grande Valley: Results from a Pilot Community-Based Educational and School-Based Vaccination Program and Its Expansion.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is a safe and effective strategy for reducing HPV morbidity and mortality. Schools have become an increasingly attractive setting for delivering vaccinations and supporting vaccination health literacy and decisional support. This study assesses the effectiveness of a community-based, physician-led HPV education campaign (starting in 2016) and onsite middle school-based HPV vaccination program across six school districts (2017, 2019, 2020) in a rural, medically underserved Texas area (Rio Grande Valley). Pre- and post-intervention HPV vaccination rates were tracked against the 2016 National Immunization Survey-Teen target rates (initiation: 49.3%; completion: 32.9%). Summary statistics were stratified by gender, school district, and grade level. The study reached 19,951 students who received HPV vaccines directly or indirectly through our program (10,289 females; 9662 males) (August 2016-August 2022). Of those, 2145 students (1074 females; 1071 males) were vaccinated directly through our program. The overall HPV up-to-date (UTD) rates were 58.8%. The overall median age at HPV vaccine initiation and HPV-UTD (range) was 11 years (9-21) and 12 years (9-20). The overall median interval between HPV vaccine doses (range) was 291 days (146-2968). Recommending HPV vaccine initiation at younger ages increases HPV vaccine completion and providing access to HPV vaccines encourages on-time vaccination and completion.

Performance of the school-based human papillomavirus vaccine uptake in Tshwane, South Africa.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is an effective preventive measure against HPV infection and HPV-associated cervical cancer. South Africa introduced its HPV vaccination programme in 2014. The authors assessed the uptake of HPV vaccine in the school-based HPV vaccination programme in Tshwane Health District for the year 2019 and compared the vaccine uptake (VU) between fee-paying and no-fee public schools. The study method was cross-sectional, using routine electronic health records of the HPV vaccination programme. The study population included all Grade 4 school-girls between the ages of 9 and 14 years who attended public schools in 2019 in the Tshwane Health District. The pooled VU for the Tshwane Health District was 72.0%, considerably lower than the target of 80.0%. The number of girls who received dose one and dose two in 2019 was 16 122 (73.0%) and 15 734 (71.0%), respectively, excluding the catch-up figures. In addition, 82.2% of fee-paying schools achieved VU of above 80% versus 65.5% of no-fee schools (p = 0.022). The lower than target levels of VU for HPV among girls in Tshwane Health District, particularly in those attending no-fee schools, is concerning. Interventions should be adopted to optimise programme performance so as to achieve the target VU of 80%. This study showed the need to strengthen sensitisation and social mobilisation efforts, particularly among no-fee schools to improve the VU.

Barriers in the School-Based Pan-Gender HPV Vaccination Program in Sweden: Healthcare Providers' Perspective.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines effectively prevent, and can even eliminate, HPV-related cancers. Currently, vaccination rates are suboptimal in the national Swedish school-based vaccination program. School nurses play a key role in all aspects of the vaccination process. Therefore, this study aims to explore school nurses' perceived HPV vaccination challenges. Seven focus group interviews were conducted with school nurses (n = 35) working in nine socio-demographically diverse municipalities in mid-Sweden. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Participants described difficulties in encountering and handling the diversity of reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Parents known to be skeptical of vaccines in general were seen as most difficult to reach. Uncertainty was expressed concerning the extent of professional responsibility for vaccine promotion. The informants expressed a lack of guidelines for vaccine promotion and described challenges in supporting the child's own wishes. Creating a safe space for the individual child was seen as crucial. Other problems described were the challenges of overcoming children's fear of needles, supporting unvaccinated children, and being confronted with the remaining gender inequities of the pan-gender vaccination program. Our results suggest that school nurses, especially those new to their profession, may benefit from training and guidance22 material on how to address vaccine hesitancy.

Challenges and lessons from a school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for adolescent girls in a rural Nigerian community

BackgroundOver 80% of new cervical cancer cases occur in women living in low- and middle-income countries. It is the second highest cause of female cancer deaths in Nigeria. School based vaccination programs are an effective strategy for delivering the HPV vaccine to adolescent girls. This study aims to understand the challenges to implementing school-based HPV vaccination programs, particularly in a remote rural setting where vaccine hesitancy is high.MethodsA 22- item interviewer administered questionnaire was used to evaluate HPV knowledge and willingness to get the HPV vaccinate among 100 female secondary school students as part of an HPV vaccination pilot in a rural community in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were used to assess community knowledge and attitudes on cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. Data collected were analyzed thematically to understand challenges and generate lessons for vaccine delivery in the study setting.ResultsKnowledge of HPV and cervical cancer among junior secondary school aged girls was fair with a mean score of 66.05%. For senior secondary school aged girls, the knowledge score ranged from 70 to 100% with a mean of 96.25% indicating good knowledge of HPV and cervical cancer. All participants (n = 100) received the first vaccine dose but due to COVID-19, 33 participants were not able to complete the vaccine dosage within the recommended 6-month schedule. Of the parents who provided consent, none could afford the vaccine out of pocket. Challenges to vaccine delivery included operational costs exacerbated by lack of adequate health workforce and infrastructure in the study setting.ConclusionAn exploration of sociocultural perspectives and contextual realities is crucial to understanding the complexities of HPV vaccine introduction from the perspective of the target audience, and the local community. Strategies for introducing the HPV vaccine should address community concerns through effective communication, appropriate delivery, and targeted advocacy to make the vaccination program locally relevant. While school-based HPV immunization programs have been shown to be successful, adequate design, planning and monitoring is important. Additionally, considerations must be made to account for the high operational cost of vaccine delivery in rural, hard to reach areas where human resources and infrastructure are limited.

The needle pricking and two modes of 'doing good' in the Swedish school-based human papillomavirus vaccination programme.

In this article, we draw on science and technology studies literature on care practices to analyse school nurses’ work with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in schools, in the context of a new vaccination policy including all children in the fifth grade in Sweden. Drawing on 21 interviews with school nurses working in municipalities across a larger Swedish region, we focus on the mundane work of handling the vaccination and supporting the children while they are being vaccinated. We utilise the notion of ‘modes of doing good’ to analyse routines and ideals oriented towards specific, and sometimes contradictory, forms of ‘good care’ in HPV vaccination practice. Two modes of doing good are identified: the vaccination as a caring for ‘the flow’ of children getting vaccinated and the vaccination as a caring about the specific child. We analyse three ‘child subjects’ alongside these modes: the informed and already prepared child, the anxious child, and the specific child. By identifying tensions and interferences between different child subjects and modes of doing good, we discuss possible consequences of our findings for how HPV vaccination is envisioned and conceptualised in social science research and in policy settings.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in South Africa: Programmatic Challenges and Opportunities for Integration With Other Adolescent Health Services?

Compared to other regions of the world, sub-Saharan Africa has made limited progress in the implementation and performance of nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes. Without urgent intervention, this will serve to undermine cervical cancer elimination efforts in this region. The primary intent of this narrative review is to highlight the programmatic successes and challenges of the school-based HPV vaccination programme in South Africa since its inception in 2014, with the aim of contributing to the evidence base needed to accelerate implementation and improve programme performance in other sub-Saharan African countries. As of 2020, the proportion of adolescent girls aged 15 years who had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine at any time between ages 9–14 years was 75%, while 61% had completed the full recommended two-dose schedule. This gives some indication of the reach of the South African HPV vaccination programme over the past 6 years. Despite this, vaccine coverage and dose completion rates have persistently followed a downward trend, slowing progress toward attaining global elimination targets. There is evidence suggesting that declining public demand for the HPV vaccine may be a result of weakening social mobilization over time, inadequate reminder and tracking systems, and vaccine hesitancy. Another concern is the disproportionate burden of HPV and HIV co-infections among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa, which predisposes them to early development of invasive cervical cancer. Moving forward, national policy makers and implementers will have to explore reforms to current age eligibility criteria and vaccine dose schedules, as well as implement strategies to support vaccine uptake among populations like out-of-school girls, girls attending private schools, and HIV positive young women. Additional opportunities to strengthen the South African HPV vaccination programme can be achieved by scaling up the co-delivery of other adolescent health services such as comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights education, deworming, and health screening. This calls for reinforcing implementation of the integrated school health policy and leveraging existing adolescent health programmes and initiatives in South Africa. Ultimately, establishing tailored, adolescent-centered, integrated health programmes will require guidance from further operational research.

The impact of publicly funded immunization programs on human papillomavirus vaccination in boys and girls: An observational study

Reaching and maintaining high global human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake has been challenging. The impact of publicly funded HPV immunization programs and the interplay of sociodemographic, psychosocial and policy factors in maximizing vaccination is poorly understood. This observational study examined the impact of introducing publicly funded school-based HPV vaccination programs for boys directly on uptake in boys and indirectly on uptake in girls, while concurrently examining other important sociodemographic and psychosocial factors. Data were collected from a national, longitudinal sample of Canadian parents of children aged 9-16 years during August-September 2016 (T1) and June-July 2017 (T2). Participants completed an online questionnaire measuring sociodemographic characteristics, vaccine knowledge and attitudes, health care provider recommendation, and HPV vaccine uptake. Analyses were conducted separately for parents of boys and girls using logistic regression analyses at T1 and T2. Jurisdictions with HPV vaccine funding for boys at both time-points were compared to those with funding at neither time-points and those that introduced funding between time-points. The sample included parents of boys (n=716) and girls (n=843). In multivariable analyses, jurisdictions with funding for boys at both time-points had higher odds of vaccination (adjusted odds ratio, T1 = 10.18, T2 = 11.42; 95% confidence interval, T1 = 3.08-33.58, T2 = 5.61-23.23) than jurisdictions without funding at both time-points; however, funded jurisdictions did not have higher odds of vaccination compared to jurisdictions that newly introduced funding for boys. Vaccination was associated with consistent determinants in boys and girls including child's age, health care provider recommendation, perceived vaccine harms, and perceived vaccine affordability. This gender-sensitive analysis highlights the interplay of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and policy factors that can improve HPV vaccination. Publicly funded school-based programs are an impactful strategy to increase vaccine uptake. This work was supported by the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute (#704,036). GKS was supported by the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship programs. The funders of this work had no role in the data collection, analysis, or interpretation, or any aspect pertinent to the study.

Accuracy of Self-reported Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Status Among Gay and Bisexual Adolescent Males: Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundMen who have sex with men are a risk group for anal human papillomavirus (HPV) and anal cancer. Australia introduced a universal school-based HPV vaccination program in 2013. Self-reported HPV vaccination status has been widely used in clinical and research settings, but its accuracy is understudied.ObjectiveWe aimed to examine the accuracy of self-reported HPV vaccination status among gay and bisexual adolescent males.MethodsWe included 192 gay and bisexual males aged 16-20 years from the Human Papillomavirus in Young People Epidemiological Research 2 (HYPER2) study in Melbourne, Australia. All participants had been eligible for the universal school-based HPV vaccination program implemented in 2013 and were asked to self-report their HPV vaccination status. Written informed consent was obtained to verify their HPV vaccination status using records at the National HPV Vaccination Program Register and the Australian Immunisation Register. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of self-reported HPV vaccination status.ResultsThe median age of the 192 males was 19 (IQR 18-20) years. There were 128 males (67%) who had HPV vaccination records documented on either registry. Self-reported HPV vaccination had a sensitivity of 47.7% (95% CI 38.8%-56.7%; 61/128), a specificity of 85.9% (95% CI 75.0%-93.4%; 55/64), a positive predictive value of 87.1% (95% CI 77.0%-93.9%; 61/70), and a negative predictive value of 45.1% (95% CI 36.1%-54.3%; 55/122).ConclusionsSelf-reported HPV vaccination status among Australian gay and bisexual adolescent males underestimates actual vaccination and may be inaccurate for clinical and research purposes.

Implementing new consent procedures for schools-based human papillomavirus vaccination: a qualitative study

Background The requirement for written parental consent for school-based human papillomavirus vaccination programme in England can act as a barrier to uptake for some young women, with the potential to exacerbate health inequities. Aims To consider the practicalities and implications of implementing new consent procedures, including parental telephone consent and adolescent self-consent, in two local authority areas in the southwest of England. Methods Digitally recorded, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 53 participants, including immunisation nurses, school staff, young people, and parents. All interviews were fully transcribed and thematic analysis was undertaken. Results Parental telephone consent was welcomed by the immunisation nurses, parents, and young women in the study. Adolescent self-consent was rare. Greater understanding of the barriers to uptake outside of mainstream school-based sessions is needed to further address inequalities in uptake. Conclusions The new procedures generally worked well but some important barriers to vaccination uptake remain.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of the nonavalent human papillomavirus vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer in Singapore

BackgroundThe nonavalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been shown to extend protection against oncogenic HPV types 31/33/45/52/58 (HPV-OV) not covered by the bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines. Besides its clinical benefit, evidence on the economic value of the nonavalent vaccine is required to inform local vaccination strategies and funding decisions. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of replacing the bivalent vaccine with the nonavalent vaccine in the national school-based HPV vaccination programme in Singapore. MethodsAn existing age-structured dynamic transmission model coupled with stochastic individual-based simulations was adapted to project the health and economic impact of vaccinating 13-year-old girls with two doses of the nonavalent or bivalent HPV vaccines in Singapore. Direct costs (in Singapore dollars, S$) were obtained from public healthcare institutions in Singapore, while health state utilities were sourced from the literature. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were estimated over a lifetime horizon, from a healthcare system perspective. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to obtain the ICERs and corresponding variations across variable uncertainty. Particularly, this study tested the scenarios of lifelong and 20-year vaccine-induced protection, assumed 96.0% and 22.3% cross-protection against HPV-OV by nonavalent and bivalent vaccines respectively, and fixed vaccine prices per dose at S$188 for nonavalent and S$61.50 for bivalent vaccines. ResultsCompared with the bivalent vaccine, the use of the nonavalent vaccine was associated with an ICER of S$61,629 per quality-adjusted life year gained in the base case. The result was robust across a range of plausible input values, and to assumptions regarding the duration of vaccine protection. ConclusionGiven the high ICER, the nonavalent vaccine is unlikely to represent a cost-effective option compared with the bivalent vaccine for school-based HPV vaccination of 13-year old female students in Singapore. Substantial price reductions would be required to justify its inclusion in the school-based programme in the future.

Misinformation Drives Low Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Coverage in South African Girls Attending Private Schools.

Background: Cervical cancer, caused by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, is the leading cause of female cancer deaths in South Africa. In 2014, the South African National Department of Health introduced a free public sector school-based HPV vaccination programme, targeting grade 4 girls aged ≥9 years. However, private sector school girls receive HPV vaccination through their healthcare providers at cost. This study investigated HPV vaccination knowledge, attitudes and practices of caregivers of girls aged ≥9 years in grades 4–7 attending South African private schools.Methods: A link to an online survey was circulated to caregivers via an email sent to school principals of all private schools in four provinces enrolling girls in grades 4–7. Following a poor post-reminder response, a paid Facebook survey-linked advert targeting South African Facebook users aged ≥25 years nationally was run for 4 days, and placed on the South African Vaccination and Immunisation Centre's Facebook page for 20 days.Results: Of 615 respondents, 413 provided HPV vaccination data and 455 completed the knowledge and attitudes tests. Most (76.5%) caregivers had good knowledge and 45.3% had positive attitudes. Of their daughters, 19.4% had received ≥1 dose of HPV vaccine. Of caregivers of unvaccinated girls, 44.3% and 41.1%, respectively were willing to vaccinate their daughters if vaccination was offered free and at their school. Caregivers of unvaccinated girls were more likely [odds ratio (OR): 3.8] to have been influenced by “other” influences (mainly online articles and anecdotal vaccine injury reports). Of caregivers influenced by their healthcare providers, caregivers of unvaccinated girls were more likely (OR: 0.2) to be influenced by alternative medical practitioners. Caregivers of vaccinated girls were more likely to have good knowledge (OR: 3.6) and positive attitudes (OR: 5.2). Having good knowledge strongly predicted (OR: 2.8) positive attitudes. Having negative attitudes strongly predicted (OR: 0.2) girls being unvaccinated.Conclusion: Providing free school-based HPV vaccination in the private sector may not increase HPV vaccination coverage to an optimal level. Since misinformation was the main driver of negative attitudes resulting in <20% of girls being vaccinated, an advocacy campaign targeting all stakeholders is urgently needed.

Young women\u2019s autonomy and information needs in the schools-based HPV vaccination programme: a qualitative study

BackgroundUntil 2019, the English schools-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme was offered to young women (but not young men) aged 12 to 13 years to reduce HPV-related morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to explore the extent to which young women were able to exercise autonomy within the HPV vaccination programme. We consider the perspectives of young women, parents and professionals and how this was influenced by the content and form of information provided.MethodsRecruitment was facilitated through a healthcare organisation, schools and community organisations in a local authority in the south-west of England. Researcher observations of HPV vaccination sessions were carried out in three schools. Semi-structured interviews took place with 53 participants (young women, parents of adolescent children, school staff and immunisation nurses) during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 programme years. Interviews were recorded digitally and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was undertaken, assisted by NVivo software.ResultsYoung women’s active participation and independence within the HPV vaccination programme was constrained by the setting of vaccination and the primacy of parental consent procedures. The authoritarian school structure influenced the degree to which young women were able to actively participate in decisions about the HPV vaccination programme. Young women exercised some power, either to avoid or receive the vaccine, by intercepting parental consent forms and procedures. Reliance on leaflets to communicate information led to unmet information needs for young women and their families. Communication may be improved by healthcare professional advocacy, accessible formats of information, and delivery of educational sessions.ConclusionsStrategies to improve communication about the HPV vaccine may increase young people’s autonomy in consent procedures, clarify young people’s rights and responsibilities in relation to their health care services, and result in higher uptake of the HPV vaccination programme.Trial registrationISRCTN 49086105; Date of registration: 12 January 2018; Prospectively registered.

Impact of a single-age cohort human papillomavirus vaccination strategy in Catalonia, Spain: Population-based analysis of anogenital warts in men and women

Extensive multiple-age cohort human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has proved to be highly effective. We aimed to determine the 8-year population impact of a female single-age cohort HPV vaccination programme on the incidence of anogenital warts (AGW). In 2008, Catalonia initiated a school-based quadrivalent HPV vaccination programme targeting 11-year-old girls, achieving coverage over 80%. Data on diagnoses of AGW and genital herpes were obtained from a population-based database of electronic health records covering 74% of the population. The annual incidence rates from 2009 to 2016 were calculated, stratified by age and sex using Joinpoint regression to estimate trends and annual percentage changes (APC). Among women aged 16–19 years, the AGW incidence decreased by 61% from 2012 to 2016 (APC −19.4%; 95% CI: −30.0 to −7.3). In contrast, the incidence of genital herpes in same-aged women increased throughout the study period (APC 11.1%; 95% CI: 7.2–15.2). Among men aged 20–22 years, the increasing incidence of AGW shifted to a downward trend in 2013 (APC 2009–2013: 17.0%; 95% CI: 8.2–26.5; and APC 2013–2016: −4.5%; 95% CI: −14.6 to 6.9). A similar pattern was observed among men aged 23–25 years (APC 2009–2014: 16.0%; 95% CI: 12.0–20.2; and APC 2014–2016: −6.0%; 95% CI: −18.4 to 8.3). In contrast to AGW, among men aged 20–25 years, the incidence of genital herpes increased over this period. Our study strongly suggests that a single-cohort HPV vaccination strategy with high vaccine uptake not only provides direct benefit in the vaccinated cohorts but also extends protection through a herd effect to unvaccinated men.

Schoolteachers\u2019 experiences of implementing school-based vaccination programs against human papillomavirus in a Chinese community: a qualitative study

BackgroundCervical cancer was the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide in 2012 and was the eighth most common cancer in 2014 and the eighth greatest cause of female cancer deaths in Hong Kong in 2015. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has been clinically documented to have a high efficacy in reducing HPV-related cervical intraepithelial neoplasia incidence. Therefore, receiving vaccination is a crucial public health measure to reduce disease burden. Significant others, such as schools and schoolteachers, have prominent influence in shaping adolescents’ health perceptions and behavior. Therefore, the perspective of schools and schoolteachers regarding vaccination can significantly influence students’ acceptance and accessibility of the vaccine. However, few studies have analyzed the perceptions of schoolteachers toward HPV vaccination, and even fewer have concerned how schoolteachers’ perceptions influence their schools’ motivation in implementing school-based HPV vaccination programs. This study was thus conducted to fill this literature gap.MethodsWith a Chinese community as the field site of this study, a qualitative approach of five focus group interviews was conducted with 35 schoolteachers from five primary and eight secondary schools in Hong Kong between July 2014 and January 2015. Thematic content analysis was used for data analysis.ResultsPerceptual, institutional, student and parental, and collaborator barriers interacted to discourage the sampled schoolteachers from organizing school-based HPV vaccination programs. Lack of knowledge regarding HPV vaccination, perception of HPV vaccination as inappropriate given the students’ age, violation of traditional cultural values, lack of perceived needs and perceived risk, opposition from schools, low priority of HPV vaccination over other health education topics, lack of government support, lack of interest from parents and students, and lack of confidence in implementing organizations, all were the mentioned barriers.ConclusionsThe sampled schoolteachers were demotivated to organize school-based HPV vaccination programs because of their perceptions and various social and cultural factors. As significant influencers of adolescent students, schoolteachers and schools should receive more support and information on organizing school-based HPV vaccination programs in the future.

School-based human papillomavirus vaccination program for increasing vaccine uptake in an underserved area in Texas

ObjectiveCompare the effectiveness of community-based HPV-related education and onsite school-based vaccination versus community-based education only for increasing HPV vaccine uptake in a rural, medically underserved area. MethodsOur cohort included 2307 Rio Grande City Consolidated Independent School District (RGCISD) middle school students from 3 schools enrolled in August 2016 and followed until April 2018. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study implemented an onsite school-based vaccination program and physician-led education on HPV and HPV vaccines for parents/guardians, school nurses/staff, and pediatric/family providers in the surrounding community (15-mile radius of RGCCISD) at 1 middle school (“intervention school”), and education-only for the remaining 2 schools (“comparison schools”). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HPV-related educational materials supplemented the education. HPV vaccine status was obtained from school immunization records and the project's contracted vaccine vendor. HPV vaccine initiation and completion rates were compared pre and post intervention and between the intervention and comparison schools. Logistic regression was used to compare the odds of newly initiating/completing vaccination between the intervention and comparison schools. ResultsAt baseline, the intervention school had lower HPV vaccine initiation and completion rates than the comparison schools (20.00% and 8.70% vs 28.97% and 14.56%). Post intervention, the intervention school had higher initiation and completion rates than the comparison schools (53.67% and 28.36% vs 41.56% and 20.53%). Students from the intervention school were over 3.6-times more likely to newly initiate/complete the HPV vaccinations than students from the comparison schools. ConclusionThe school with on-site vaccination events and community-based education had a higher adolescent HPV vaccination rate compared to schools that received community-based education only.

An observational study comparing HPV prevalence and type distribution between HPV-vaccinated and -unvaccinated girls after introduction of school-based HPV vaccination in Norway.

Many countries have initiated school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs. The real-life effectiveness of HPV vaccines has become increasingly evident, especially among girls vaccinated before HPV exposure in countries with high vaccine uptake. In 2009, Norway initiated a school-based HPV vaccination program for 12-year-old girls using the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil®), which targets HPV6, 11, 16, and 18. Here, we aim to assess type-specific vaginal and oral HPV prevalence in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated girls in the first birth cohort eligible for school-based vaccination (born in 1997). This observational, cross-sectional study measured the HPV prevalence ratio (PR) between vaccinated and unvaccinated girls in Norway. Facebook advertisement was used to recruit participants and disseminate information about the study. Participants self-sampled vaginal and oral specimens using an Evalyn® Brush and a FLOQSwab™, respectively. Sexual behavior was ascertained through a short questionnaire. Among the 312 participants, 239 (76.6%) had received at least one dose of HPV vaccine prior to sexual debut. 39.1% of vaginal samples were positive for any HPV type, with similar prevalence among vaccinated and unvaccinated girls (38.5% vs 41.1%, PR: 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.62-1.41). For vaccine-targeted types there was some evidence of lower prevalence in the vaccinated (0.4%) compared to the unvaccinated (6.8%) group (PR: 0.06, 95%CI: 0.01-0.52). This difference remained after adjusting for sexual behavior (PR: 0.04, 95%CI: 0.00-0.42). Only four oral samples were positive for any HPV type, and all of these participants had received at least one dose of HPV vaccine at least 1 year before oral sexual debut. There is evidence of a lower prevalence of vaccine-targeted HPV types in the vagina of vaccinated girls from the first birth cohort eligible for school-based HPV vaccination in Norway; this was not the case when considering all HPV types or types not included in the quadrivalent HPV vaccine.

Anal human papillomavirus infections in young unvaccinated men who have sex with men attending a sexual health clinic for HPV vaccination in Melbourne, Australia

The Victorian Government introduced a time-limited quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination catch-up program targeting gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (MSM) aged up to 26 years in 2017. As of 2017, men aged ≥20 years were not eligible for the school-based HPV vaccination program. This study examined the prevalence of anal HPV among 496 MSM aged 20–26 years before they received the first dose of the HPV vaccine at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia. More than half (56.5%) had any high-risk HPV genotypes detected in the anus. Almost half (43.1%) had at least one quadrivalent HPV vaccine-preventable genotype (6, 11, 16 or 18) and one-fifth (21.0%) had HPV 16 detected in the anus. These findings suggest that a targeted catch-up HPV vaccination program for MSM is still beneficial to protect against high-risk HPV genotypes associated with anal cancer, as well as low-risk HPV genotypes.