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Association with Tdap, meningococcal vaccine requirements could increase HPV vaccination uptake
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School-entry HPV vaccination requirements had a minimal impact in HPV prevention coverage for adolescent girls, though state vaccination requirements did increase use of Tdap booster and meningococcal vaccination, according to findings published in Pediatrics. Researchers noted some residual improvement in HPV utilization in states with Tdap and meningococcal vaccine requirements that did not have HPV requirements.
“By the 2015 school year, 47 states had adopted requirements for Tdap booster, 25 states for meningococcal vaccine and 3 states for HPV vaccine completion,” Jennifer L. Moss, PhD, from the department of Health Behavior and Biostatistics at Gillings School of Global Public Health, and colleagues wrote. “The HPV vaccination requirements in Virginia and Washington, D.C. are remarkably lax, allowing parents to opt out of vaccination for any reason. Furthermore, these requirements target only female adolescents, even though national recommendations have recommended HPV vaccination for all adolescents since 2011.”
Moss and colleagues sought to assess the efficacy of states’ school entry requirements for adolescent vaccination with a focus on HPV vaccination coverage. They collected data from the Immunization Action Coalition on school-required adolescent vaccination between 2007 and 2012. Some 99,921 vaccination records for Tdap booster, meningococcal vaccine and HPV vaccine were reviewed for girls aged 13 to 17 years.
Researchers observed increases in vaccination coverage for associated vaccines in states with Tdap booster (22%) and meningococcal (24%) requirements vs. states without school requirements (P < .05). Although the two states with HPV vaccination requirements in 2012 had a less than 1% increase in coverage for the HPV vaccine, Tdap booster (8%) and meningococcal vaccination (4%) was linked to spillover increases for HPV vaccination coverage (P < .05).
Vaccination programs and primary care physicians should capitalize on changes in adolescent vaccination that could occur after states adopt said requirements, the researchers wrote.
“Given the low rates of HPV vaccination and the political difficulties in adopting school entry requirements for this vaccine, the associations between Tdap booster and meningococcal vaccination requirements and HPV vaccinations are especially important,” the researchers wrote. “Absent strong HPV vaccination school entry requirements, adopting Tdap booster or meningococcal vaccination requirements may lead to the greatest improvements in HPV vaccinations among the policy interventions evaluated in the current study.” – by Kate Sherrer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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