Low HPV Vaccination Rates Said to Pose Serious Local Public Health Threat

About 79 million people in the United States are infected with HPV, also known as human papillomavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection, is so pervasive that nearly all sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives, the CDC reports, and it leads to problems such as genital warts and various cancers including cervical throat and anal.

The disease, however, is easily “preventable with a safe and effective vaccine,” says Kimlin Tam Ashing, PhD, professor at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope and founding director of its Center of Community Alliance for Research and Education.

For this reason, in mid-January, all National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers banded together to raise awareness of this “serious public health threat” due to the “critically low vaccination rates” for HPV in the U.S.

According to the CDC’s 2016 report, only about 42 percent of girls and 28 percent of boys in the U.S. have completed the recommended vaccines, rates significantly lower than those of countries such as the U.K. (84 to 92 percent), Australia (75 percent) and even Rwanda (93 percent).

These numbers are far behind the 80 percent goal by the end of this decade, as set forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Healthy People 2020 mission.

Ashing says communication issues are partly to blame for the low vaccination rate.

“Flawed early marketing separated this childhood vaccine from the rest of the pack,” Ashing says. “There were also early cost issues relating to insurance coverage, and parental concerns that weren’t effectively addressed by the health system nationally and providers locally.”

To address some concerns, the CDC recently adjusted its suggested dosage for the HPV vaccine, recommending now that 11- to 12-year olds get two doses rather than the previously recommended three, with the second vaccination given 6 to 12 months after the first.

“We have the chance to prevent about 40,000 new cases of HPV-related cancers every year,” says Ashing.

The challenge now for cancer centers like City of Hope is to get the word out.

“On the national level, we know that African-Americans, European-Americans and boys are less likely to get the HPVV,” Ashing said, referring to the HPV vaccine.

“But we know very little about our own Southern California community. Our region has not received the funding needed to support adequate data collection.”

Of course, the HPV vaccine isn’t the only way to prevent genital cancers.

“Invasive cervical cancer can be prevented and lives can be saved with a relatively simple Pap test,” says Ashing.

On that note, don’t forget to schedule your annual appointment with your doctor.

For more information, contact City of Hope, a state-of-the-art outpatient cancer treatment center, at (626) 218-9500 or visit www.cityofhope.org. Their Pasadena center is located at 630 South Raymond Avenue, Suite 220.