Does Provider Recommendation Influence Parents' Intent to have Teens Vaccinated Against HPV?

Notwithstanding the quadrivalent HPV vaccine's licensure in 2006, vaccination rates remain lower than for other childhood vaccines, with the most recent U.S. data showing only half of teens up to date for HPV vaccination (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020; 69;1109).

Investigators analyzed National Immunization Survey (NIS)–Teen data from 2012 through 2018 to better understand parents' intent to vaccinate their 13- to 17-year-olds against HPV. Key findings include the following:

• The proportion of unvaccinated adolescents receiving an HPV recommendation from their healthcare provider increased significantly, from 27% in 2012 to 49% in 2018.

• Parental lack of intent to start the HPV series rose from 50% to 64% (more so for daughters [from 54% to 68%]…