Strategies to Protect against HPV-Related Cancers Using HPV Vaccines

Dear Colleagues,

Persistent infection with high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), most commonly Types 16 and 18, is responsible for the majority of cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers. HPV vaccines protect against high-risk strains that cause most of these cancers, and research has illustrated the HPV vaccines’ effectiveness in protecting both vaccinated and unvaccinated (via herd immunity) individuals from cancer caused by both low- and high-risk strains. Therefore, it is critical to that we increase HPV vaccine series uptake and completion rates, especially among individuals age-eligible to receive the vaccine.

The goal of this issue is to share strategies aimed at increasing HPV vaccine utilization and completion, especially among populations who are at the greatest risk for developing HPV-related cancers. Strategies of interest include those that:

1. Address vaccine hesitancy among parents/caretakers of HPV vaccine age-eligible children;
2. Train physicians or other healthcare providers to communicate with patients and parents/caretakers about complicated subjects such as (a) the importance of vaccines, (b) the value of a vaccine to prevent cancer, and (c) shared decision-making between parents/caretakers and physicians and between parents/caretakers and children.
3. Implementation challenges addressing HPV vaccination (drop-off, completion, and structural), and
4. Decline in trust of physicians and the health system overall.

Manuscripts describing intervention studies are preferred; however descriptive studies leading to recommendations to test specific strategies will be considered.

Dr. Deborah Helitzer
Dr. Alexis Koskan
Guest Editors

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• HPV vaccine
• intervention research
• mixed methods
• implementation science
• vaccine hesitancy
• patient-provider communication