Evidence-Based Storytelling for a Strategic Roadmap to Promote Cancer Prevention via Adolescent HPV Vaccination in Northern New England.

Vaccination rates for the human papillomavirus (HPV) among rural youth in northern New England lag those of more urbanized areas. Reasons include a lack of available medical offices, time constraints, perceptions of vaccines and HPV, and, to a smaller degree, delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a responsibility to increase vaccinations in these communities.

Raising the HPV Vaccination Rate in Rural Northern New England Using Local Opinion Leaders.

The human papillomavirus is associated with a range of cancers. A vaccine introduced in 2006 has dramatically decreased the incidence of these cancers, but Americans still experience over 47,000 new cases of HPV-related cancers each year. The situation is worse in rural areas, where vaccination rates lag the national average, making HPV a significant health disparity issue.