Nebraska has a high rate of residents receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, but the state struggles when it comes to completing the full series. A campaign has been launched in the panhandle by the Panhandle Public Health District to address this issue. The campaign aims to educate families on the importance of starting the HPV vaccination series at age 9 and completing it.
According to Deputy Director of Clinical Services Paulette Schnell, it can be difficult to get people to return for the third dose of the vaccine. The HPV vaccination series consists of two doses if started before age 14, or three doses if started later. The campaign, “Why Age 9,” emphasizes the importance of completing the series before age 14 to improve completion rates.
The campaign materials are available in both English and Spanish, as Spanish is a main language spoken in the region. “Why Age 9” emphasizes the role of the vaccine in reducing cancer rates and preventing the transmission of HPV, which can cause six different types of cancer. The vaccine has been shown to decrease cervical cancer rates by 65%.
Nebraska’s estimated coverage rate for at least one HPV shot is between 81.1-93%, but the estimated completion rate for the full series drops to 61.4-68.1%. Nationally, the completion rate is 58.6%, with 75.1% of individuals receiving at least the first dose of the vaccine.
As the campaign progresses, strategies are being developed to reach different populations within the community. The next step is to tailor messaging to ranchers and farmers in the region in order to make the information more relatable and accessible to them.