Getting Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Back on Track: Protecting Our National Investment in Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in the COVID-19 Era

Abstract

Conflicts of interest: G.D.Z. has received consultation fees from Sanofi Pasteur for work on the Adolescent Immunization Initiative and from Merck for consultation related to human papillomavirus vaccination. N.T.B. has served on paid advisory boards for Merck and received research grants from Merck and Pfizer. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this commentary are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Addressing Parental Vaccine Hesitancy and Other Barriers to Childhood/Adolescent Vaccination Uptake During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

“…Additionally, parental concerns regarding exposure to the COVID-19 have discouraged individuals who would otherwise have utilized vaccination services, thus, resulting in postponed/ canceled medical appointment visits. Moreover, restrictions on routine in-person office visits due to physical distancing protocols have limited health care providers' communications promoting vaccine uptake to patients (18). Overall, the existing COVID-19 pandemic has forestalled the painstaking but incremental progress made in the last decade to improve uptake for HPV and other vaccines.…”

A Mixed-Methods Examination of Factors Related to HPV Vaccination Promotion in Private Dental Settings, Iowa, 2019

“…Engaging dental providers in the fight against oropharyngeal cancer is not a new idea (24,25); however, risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer have changed dramatically, shifting from tobacco use toward HPV infection (26). In light of the current decline in adolescent vaccinations due to the COVID-19 pandemic (27), finding new ways to promote vaccination within this population is essential.…”

Prostate cancer and the human papilloma virus: causative association, role of vaccines, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Unfortunately, short-term measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, such as school closures and limited clinic visits, have led to a fall in HPV vaccination rates [ 12 ]. In the United States, there was an 80% reduction in HPV vaccine orders by the end of March 2020, compared to the same time in the previous year [ 13 , 14 ] and a parallel marked reduction of HPV vaccine uptake in Europe [ 7 ]. It is unclear what the long-term effects of this situation will be, but there has been speculation that the increased vaccine hesitancy seen during the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively impact future HPV vaccination campaigns [ 14 ].…”

“…In the United States, there was an 80% reduction in HPV vaccine orders by the end of March 2020, compared to the same time in the previous year [ 13 , 14 ] and a parallel marked reduction of HPV vaccine uptake in Europe [ 7 ]. It is unclear what the long-term effects of this situation will be, but there has been speculation that the increased vaccine hesitancy seen during the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively impact future HPV vaccination campaigns [ 14 ]. However, some maintain that the successful results of COVID-19 vaccination efforts could increase public confidence in vaccines, leading to greater uptake of the HPV vaccine [ 7 , 14 ].…”

“…It is unclear what the long-term effects of this situation will be, but there has been speculation that the increased vaccine hesitancy seen during the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively impact future HPV vaccination campaigns [ 14 ]. However, some maintain that the successful results of COVID-19 vaccination efforts could increase public confidence in vaccines, leading to greater uptake of the HPV vaccine [ 7 , 14 ]. Nonetheless, there is a need to support the expeditious revivification of HPV vaccination campaigns, redesigning them where necessary, to suit the current circumstances.…”