Overcoming barriers to HPV vaccination in rural Vermont through a multicomponent peer-based approach

Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2022 Nov 30;18(6):2122494. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2122494. Epub 2022 Sep 21.

Abstract

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) causes almost all cervical cancers and many cancers of the anus, vagina, vulva, penis, and oropharynx. The HPV vaccine provides protection to all adolescents from a broad spectrum of cancers, yet HPV vaccination rates remain lower than those of other routine vaccines. Developing effective HPV vaccine interventions is particularly important in rural areas, whose residents have lower rates of HPV vaccination and higher cervical cancer incidence and mortality; however, interventional research in these populations is relatively limited. Furthermore, though rural areas are heterogeneous in many regards, few interventions engage stakeholders to develop community-specific solutions to overcome obstacles associated with HPV vaccination. Based on a review of existing literature, we recommend a multicomponent peer-based approach that includes school-based vaccination and awareness, parental involvement, and stakeholder engagement to increase HPV vaccination in rural areas, and we provide an example of such an intervention in rural Vermont.

Keywords: HPV vaccine; parents; peer education; rural health; school-based vaccination; stakeholders; vaccine intervention.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Papillomavirus Infections* / prevention & control
  • Papillomavirus Vaccines* / administration & dosage
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care*
  • Rural Population
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* / prevention & control
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* / virology
  • Vaccination*

Substances

  • Papillomavirus Vaccines

Grants and funding

The multicomponent peer-based approach in Lamoille County, Vermont was funded by the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. The Vermont/New Hampshire Chapter of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship awards $2,000 to medical and law students for the creation of projects aimed at addressing social determinants of health. Albert Schweitzer Fellowship funding enabled the purchase of educational materials (including Nearpod subscription and purchase of the Get Real High School curriculum), printing (Venngage subscription, banners, signs, and raffle tickets), and a few prizes for the Guard Your Health fair raffle. The majority of raffle prizes were donated as non-financial gifts by local businesses; one community member donated $500, used for the purchase of a raffle prize (an inflatable stand-up paddle board) of the same price. This manuscript was also supported by grant U54 GM115516 from the National Institutes of Health for the Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research (NNE-CTR) network.