Opportunities to increase rates of human papillomavirus vaccination in the New South Wales school program through enhanced catch-up.

UNLABELLED

Background The National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Program provides HPV vaccine to high school students through school-based vaccination. We aimed to: 1) assess the vaccine completion rates achieved when general practice is used for completing doses missed at school; 2) estimate the extent of under-notification by general practices of vaccine doses administered; and 3) assess the reasons reported by parents of students for non-completion of HPV vaccination.

METHODS

A postal survey was conducted of parents and carers of students and identified, using school-program records, as incompletely vaccinated in a large regional area of northern NSW vaccinated during 2010. Information about additional HPV vaccine doses received or reasons for non-completion were sought. Responses were analysed and records cross-checked against the National HPV Vaccination Program Register.

RESULTS

Of 660 parents or carers contacted, 207 (31.4%) responded. We found: 1) completion rates increased, an additional 122/207 (45.2%) students had completed all three doses of HPV through their general practitioner (GP); 2) under-notification of GP doses to the National HPV Vaccination Program Register was an issue with only 5/165 (3.0%) reported; 3) the main reason for non-completion was being unaware of the opportunity to catch-up at a GP.

CONCLUSIONS

Underreporting by GPs of HPV vaccine doses administered and failure to complete courses identifies two opportunities to increase HPV vaccine coverage. These could be addressed by extending provision of catch-up HPV doses in school and by developing practice software solutions for automatic notification of doses from GPs. Reasons given by parents for non-completion, mostly logistical barriers, indicate a high degree of acceptance of HPV vaccination.