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Abstract

Introduction: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for routine vaccination of boys and girls to protect against HPV-related cancers and genital warts. To meet the Healthy People 2020 target for HPV vaccination, health care providers must understand the importance of strongly recommending the HPV vaccine to all eligible adolescents. We sought to determine HPV vaccination patterns among employees at a tertiary cancer center and their children and attitudes regarding HPV vaccination among the employees.

Methods: All employees at a tertiary cancer center were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey administered online during July and August 2015. The survey included questions about HPV vaccination of participants and their children, including reasons why vaccine-eligible employees and children had not been vaccinated.

Results: Of those eligible, 13% of male and 33% of female employees and 44% of daughters and 24% of sons of employees had completed the vaccine series. The main reasons for not completing the series or not having one’s son completing the series were not knowing that the vaccine was needed and vaccine not recommended by a health care provider. The main reasons for not having one’s daughter complete the series were the two aforementioned reasons and daughter not yet sexually active.

Conclusion: Opportunities exist to educate health care workers about the benefits of the HPV vaccine and to increase the number of providers who recommend HPV vaccination to their patients.

Key Take Away Points

  1. The majority of eligible employees and employees’ eligible children had not completed the HPV vaccine series at a tertiary cancer center, although rates were similar to 2015 national and Texas-specific rates (time of survey).
  2. The main reasons for not completing the series or not having one’s child completing the series were not knowing that the vaccine was needed and vaccine not recommended by a health care provider for boys and girls as well as daughter not yet sexually active for girls.
  3. Opportunities exist to educate health care workers about the benefits of the HPV vaccine and to increase the number of providers who recommend HPV vaccination to their patients.

Author Biography

Kristina R. Dahlstrom, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Erich M. Sturgis, MD, MPH, is a Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Department of Epidemiology, and Christopher & Susan Damico Chair in Viral Associated Malignancies at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Ronald A. DePinho, MD, is a Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology, Harry Graves Burkhart III Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Biology, and Past President of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Ernest Hawk MD, MPH, is Vice President and Division Head for the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, Executive Director of the Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment, co-leader of MD Anderson’s Cancer Prevention and Control Platform, holds the T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Chair for Early Prevention of Cancer, and is a Professor in the Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; George P. Baum, MS, is Senior Statistical Analyst in the Department of Behavioral Science at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Elenita Tamez, MA, is a Programmer Analyst in the Department of Behavioral Science at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Rosalind S. Bello, MA, is Program Director in the Office of Health Policy at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Lori D. Stevens, MBA, is a Project Manager at Houston Methodist Hospital and former Program Manager in the Office of Health Policy at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; and Lois M. Ramondetta, MD, is a Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Stephanie Deming for manuscript editing. Funding: This research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health through MD Anderson's Cancer Center Support Grant [grant number CA016672]. This research was accomplished within the MD Anderson Cancer Center HPV-Related Cancers Moon Shot Program, the Stiefel Oropharyngeal Research Fund, which supports the MD Anderson Oropharynx Program, and the Christopher and Susan Damico Chair in Viral Associated Malignancies at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Conflicts of interest: Dr. Hawk reports non-financial relationships with Huntsman Cancer Institute, Kansas University Medical Center, Maya Clinic Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, UT Southwestern, American Cancer Society, University of Alabama Mitchell Cancer Institute, Johns Hopkins University, NCI, Oncology Nursing Society Conference, Weill Cornell Medical College, AACR, ASCO, Alliance Prevention Committee, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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