Boost HPV Rates During Back-To-School Visits with Preteens and Teens

As adolescents return to school after summer break, now is the time for healthcare providers to plan for fall immunizations for their patients. While all vaccines are important, we especially need your help this year promoting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Our data shows Ohio’s HPV vaccine rate of 62.2% is far below the Healthy People 2030 target of 80%, leaving thousands of adolescents at risk for infection and cancers. (Over 90% of cervical and anal cancers, for instance, are attributable to HPV infections.)

To promote increased HPV vaccine uptake, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in recommending the following strategies:

• Bundle HPV vaccine with other CDC-recommended adolescent vaccines (meningococcal and Tdap).
• Introduce HPV vaccine with a strong recommendation and presumptive language. (e.g., “When looking at your immunization record, you are due for meningococcal, HPV, and Tdap vaccines today.”)
• Focus on cancer prevention.
• At each visit, offer all CDC recommended vaccines that are due to reduce missed opportunities.
• Become a Vaccines for Children (VFC) provider if you serve eligible children (e.g., patients with Medicaid or uninsured patients).
• Keep HPV vaccine stocked for all patients, including VFC-eligible and privately insured patients.
• Contact your local health department or Ohio AAP to participate in a Teen Immunization Education Session (TIES).
• Participate in the CDC’s Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers (IQIP) program to understand your office’s vaccine coverage rates.

Thank you for doing your part to protect Ohioans from cancer.

Sincerely,

Immunization Program
Bureau of Infectious Diseases
Ohio Department of Health