State Policies on the Administration and Uptake of the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine

Background Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, with a prevalence of roughly 79 million Americans currently infected and approximately 14 million new infections each year. Although there is a highly effective vaccination on the market for HPV, the prevalence of the infection and its associated morbidities and cancers are extremely high. The unique political landscape in each individual state can directly affect the uptake rates of the HPV vaccine. All 50 states and Washington D.C. were studied to understand if certain combinations of policies correlate to higher uptake rates. Research Objective There are five state policies that were considered when analyzing the uptake rates of the vaccination. These policies of interest were if pharmacists were able to administer the HPV vaccine, if the state has expanded Medicaid, if the HPV vaccine is required for school entry, if there are non-medical reasons for exemption, and if children or adolescents are required to receive comprehensive sex education in school. After collecting this information on relevant state policies, the results of a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) will describe the combinations of policies that correlate to the states with the highest uptake rates of the HPV vaccine. Methods The information on these five policies was collected online through state legislatures websites and relevant national associations. A database was assembled, with a tab for each of the policies, containing each of the 50 states and Washington D.C and the information pertinent to the HPV vaccine uptake. The population of interest was the male and female adolescent residents of each state. Conclusions/Implications for Policy or Practice From this initial research, it is interesting to see the politics involved in affecting a healthier society. It is widely agreed that the vaccine is beneficial, but different political landscapes in each state affect its uptake. Five states including Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, Tennessee and Montana, have increased their rate significantly in the past few years by implementing a combination of both political and social initiatives. The QCA will determine if the combinations of certain policies directly impact the vaccination rates within states, and hopefully can inform policy makers on the implications of different political options within their state