Adolescent providers’ knowledge of human papillomavirus vaccination age guidelines in five countries

Abstract

Purpose: To examine provider knowledge of HPV vaccination age guidelines in five countries. Methods: A total of 151 providers of adolescent vaccinations in Argentina, Malaysia, South Africa, South Korea, and Spain were interviewed between October 2013 and April 2014. Univariate analyses compared providers' understanding of recommended age groups for HPV vaccination to that of each country's national guidelines. Results: In three of five countries surveyed, most providers (97% South Africa, 95% Argentina, 87% Malaysia) included all nationally recommended ages in their target age group. However, a relatively large proportion of vaccinators in some countries (83% Malaysia, 55% Argentina) believed that HPV vaccination was recommended for women above age 26, far exceeding national guidelines, and beyond the maximum recommended age in the United States. National median minimum and maximum age recommendations cited by the respondents for HPV vaccination were 11 and 29 years in Argentina (national guideline: 11-14), 13 and 48 years in Malaysia (guideline 13-14), 8 and 14 years in South Africa (guideline 9-14), 10 and 20 years in South Korea (guideline 11-14), and 11 and 12 years in Spain (guideline 11-14). In all countries, a higher percentage of vaccinators included all nationally recommended ages for vaccination, as compared to providers who did not administer HPV vaccination. Conclusions: Overall, a substantial proportion of providers incorrectly reported their country's age guidelines for HPV vaccination, particularly the upper age limit. As provider recommendation is among the strongest predictors of successful vaccination uptake among adolescents, improved education and clarification of national guidelines for providers administering HPV vaccination is essential to optimize prevention of infection and associated disease.

HPV Vaccine: Integrative Review of National and International Guidelines

“…The knowledge of providers (parents or guardians) about the guidelines for HPV vaccination was evidenced in a study that a substantial proportion where providers incorrectly reported the target ages of their countries for HPV vaccination [15]. As the providers' recommendation is among the strongest predictors of successful vaccination among adolescents, better education and clarification of national guidelines for providers administering HPV vaccination are essential to optimize infection prevention and associated diseases [15].…”

“…The knowledge of providers (parents or guardians) about the guidelines for HPV vaccination was evidenced in a study that a substantial proportion where providers incorrectly reported the target ages of their countries for HPV vaccination [15]. As the providers' recommendation is among the strongest predictors of successful vaccination among adolescents, better education and clarification of national guidelines for providers administering HPV vaccination are essential to optimize infection prevention and associated diseases [15]. Not only do providers have low knowledge about HPV, but it has been verified in a before-and-after clinical trial in order to assess the prior knowledge of medical students about HPV; the percentage of correct answers was 45.6% showing limited knowledge on the subject [24].…”

“…• The South African immunization program implemented in 2014 recommends the vaccination schedule between 9 and 14 years of age, with 2 doses in the school-based, which favors the success of the desired vaccination coverage [15]. In Argentina, South Korea and Spain the national guideline recommends the vaccination schedule between 11 -14 and in Malaysia the guideline recommends the vaccination schedule between 13 -14.…”

“…The single dose is more cost-effective and easier to administer and facilitates the implementation of catch-up campaigns at all ages [15]. Although to date, the efficacy of the two-dose regimen of HPV vaccine in adolescents for the various outcomes of the infection, for the single-dose regimen, there is still a lack of more consistent evidence, which can be obtained in the coming years with the results of ongoing studies [4].…”

There’s Much Yet to be Done: Diverse Perspectives on HPV Vaccination

“…36 Other papers address provider, parent, and patient issues specific to understudied countries, such as China, India, and Italy, as well as areas of vaccine hesitancy and/or low vaccination uptake in the U.S. and Canada. [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] Another research report found that few providers in a U.S. regional health plan administered vaccine in a way that was consistent with Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set benchmarks. 45 Two articles explore issues of trust among African American parents and how this impacts vaccination.…”