Factors Affecting the Uptake of Human papillomavirus Vaccine
The human papillomavirus is cited as one of the primary sexually transmitted infections and behind the increased cervical cancer cases. Studies show that there are different types of HPV that infect the genital of both men and women, and it is the leading cause of cervical cancer in women. Although there are several ways are preventing one from being exposed to HPV, most of the proposed methods, such as using a condom, are effective in protecting against other infections and not HPV (Lee & Tameru, 2012). One of the effective ways of ending the spread of HPV is through vaccination, and this has raised issues regarding the best approaches to ensure that the vaccine is cost-effective and reduces the spread of HPV. HPV vaccines rolled out in countries like the United States have mainly targeted young between the ages of 12 to 26 years. The HPV vaccine has been implemented in several countries but continues to lag as compared to other vaccines for young adolescents. Also, cervical cancer is still the leading cause of death among women. As such, the literature review will demonstrate some of the ways that impact the uptake of the HPV vaccine.
The myths surrounding the HPV vaccine have significantly reduced the number of people who willingly accept the vaccination. Vosters et al. (2017) opined that the continued uncertainty about vaccines is an old phenomenon that has continues to hamper the implementation of numerous vaccines. According to the author, nearly all countries report anti-vaccination campaigns, which are a significant threat to HPV vaccination. Today, the world has been reduced to a global village through the internet, causing easy sharing of false information about the HPV vaccine. The only way of fighting such harmful vices is for the government and other concerned organizations to spread healthy messages that recommend vaccination against HPV. The study is supported by Bednarczyk (2019), who asserts that the human papillomavirus vaccine is still lagging compared to other adolescent vaccines. According to Bednarczyk (2019), the low HPV vaccine intake is due to the widespread myth about human papillomavirus vaccination. As such, healthcare providers need to be conversant with the arguments to address the HPV vaccine myth.
Health providers have a big part in ensuring that the uptake of the HPV vaccine is increased. Several studies on the role of providers in the HPV vaccination programs have shown that they can play a big part in the implementation of HPV vaccination and in increasing its uptake. Gilkey & McRee (2016) assert that health care providers’ communication can significantly increase the HPV vaccine’s uptake among adolescents. The study established that provider recommendations considerably improved with the patients’ age. The research shows that healthcare provider recommendations were higher for older adolescents than young adolescents between 11-12 years old. Thus, healthcare providers have a role in ensuring that those targeted by the HPV vaccination are informed on the benefits of the vaccine. In another study by Oliver, Frawley & Garland (2016), they assessed various aspects of the provider roles and the impact they have on HPV vaccination. It was established that provider assessment and feedback could increase the rate of immunization. They include interventions such as knowing the vaccination rate in their target population and using it to inform the steps that should be taken to increase the uptake. The other approach is ensuring that providers have reminders that can help them establish whether a given patient should be vaccinated. Based on the research, most of the provider intervention has got a significant impact on HPV vaccination.
There is a need for epidemiological studies to unwrap the best strategies for conducting HPV vaccination. Most of the HPV vaccines in several countries are mainly targeting girls and young women. However, based on a study done by Elbasha, Dasbach & Insinga (2007), human papillomavirus prevalence rates are higher in men than women across all age groups. In general, the prevalence of human papillomavirus 16/18 is high among girls and women of 12 years and above compared to boys and men in the same age group. Thus, one of the best strategies of HPV vaccination is targeting boys and girls aged 12 years and also rolling out catch up vaccination for females between the ages of 12 to 24 years. The idea is supported by Wolff et al. (2018), who address the impact of implementing sex-neutral vaccination programs against the human papillomavirus. Based on the study, girls’ vaccination would lead to a reduction in human papillomavirus-related cancer among girls and boys by 86% and 69%, respectively. On the contrary, sex-neutral vaccination had an efficacy rate of 93% for girls and 84% for boys. Thus, Sex neutral vaccination has been established to have a significant impact on the reduction of cervical cancer among women significantly.
The cost-effectiveness of a vaccination program is a crucial factor in ensuring the success of any HPV vaccination approach. Several studies have compared the cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination and established costs associated with immunization. In a survey conducted by Chesson et al. (2019), it was found that the cost for HPV vaccination varies as compared to the data before 2012. Numerous changes affect the cost of vaccination over time. For instance, with the advent of new technology and changes in the standard of care, medical costs of HPV related cancer are likely to change. Thus, when implementing HPV vaccination, the cost should consider the current medical costs estimates. The same idea is supported by Lee & Tameru (2012), who analyses the need for adopting a mathematical model for exploring disease trends in a target population. Developing and using such models can help make informed decisions about various issues concerning HPV vaccination, such as cost.
The literature review analysis explains the impact of issues such as the role of care providers, cost, and the HPV vaccination myths on the vaccination intake. Most of the sources on HPV continue to address its relationship with cervical cancer. Still, most of the research has not explicitly narrowed down how the HPV vaccination can effectively be implemented to enhance its success. From most of the literature reviewed, the studies have mainly focused on the care providers, and other aspects will little regard for girls and boys who are the main target of the vaccination. Therefore, More research needs to be done on the role that young teenagers play in the success of HPV vaccination. Most adolescents that are attached to healthcare providers tend to accept HPV vaccination as compared to those who are not. Thus, more research also needs to be done on how to foster the relationship between teenagers and care providers to implement the HPV vaccine.
References
Bednarczyk, R. A. (2019). Addressing HPV vaccine myths: practical information for healthcare providers. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 15(7-8), 1628-1638.
Chesson, H. W., Meites, E., Ekwueme, D. U., Saraiya, M., & Markowitz, L. E. (2019). Updated medical care cost estimates for HPV-associated cancers: implications for cost-effectiveness analyses of HPV vaccination in the United States. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 15(7-8), 1942-1948.
Elbasha, E. H., Dasbach, E. J., & Insinga, R. P. (2007). Model for assessing human papillomavirus vaccination strategies. Emerging infectious diseases, 13(1), 28.
Gilkey, M. B., & McRee, A. L. (2016). Provider communication about HPV vaccination: a systematic review. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 12(6), 1454-1468.
Lee, S. L., & Tameru, A. M. (2012). A mathematical model of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the United States and its impact on cervical cancer. Journal of Cancer, 3, 262.
Oliver, K., Frawley, A., & Garland, E. (2016). HPV vaccination: Population approaches for improving rates. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 12(6), 1589-1593.
Vorsters, A., Arbyn, M., Baay, M., Bosch, X., de Sanjosé, S., Hanley, S., … & Van Damme, P. (2017). Overcoming barriers in HPV vaccination and screening programs. Papillomavirus Research, 4, 45-53.
Wolff, E., Elfström, K. M., Cange, H. H., Larsson, S., Englund, H., Sparén, P., & Roth, A. (2018). Cost-effectiveness of sex-neutral HPV-vaccination in Sweden, accounting for herd-immunity and sexual behavior. Vaccine, 36(34), 5160-5165.