A provider recommendation has the single biggest impact on HPV vaccination.1 Use these steps to make an effective recommendation.
Start with a presumptive announcement
The most effective recommendations are presumptive “announcements.” These are brief statements that assume parents are ready to vaccinate. Providers already use announcements as part of routine clinical care, such as when they tell patients that they’ll take their temperature and blood pressure. Using an announcement for HPV vaccination can help normalize it and make it part of routine clinical care.
Example:
“Now that Sophia is 12, she is due for three vaccines. Today, she’ll get vaccines against meningitis, HPV cancers, and whooping cough.”
In one study, same day HPV vaccination was nine times higher among families who had received an announcement.2
Counsel hesitant parents
When parents are hesitant, providers should identify and address the main concerns using a research tested message. Research shows that parents prefer objective statements, and that it’s best to stay away from personal anecdotes. State your opinion, give a reason to vaccinate, and let parents know you think HPV vaccine is very important for their child.3
Follow up with parents who decline
If parents still decline, it’s important to follow-up when families come in for their next visit. Almost half of adolescents will get it at a later visit, and another quarter say they plan to get it but just haven’t had a chance to yet.4
- Walker, et al. 2019 MMWR
- Sturm et al., 2017, Journal of Adolescent Health
- Shah et al., 2019, Pediatrics
- Kornides et al., 2018, Academic Pediatrics
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