Parental acceptance of a mandatory human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program

Objectives: the objective of this study was to determine factors that influence parent's acceptance of a mandatory school-based human papillomavirus (hpv) vaccination program. methods: a convenience sample of 325 parents,with children aged 9 to 17 years old,completed a 53-item survey. survey questions targeted their opinions about hpv,the hpv vaccine,and a mandatory hpv vaccination program. χ2 tests were used to examine relationships between survey items. results: characteristics of parents who believed the hpv vaccine should be mandated included limited financial resources (p = .03),history of hpv-related disease (p = .04),understanding their child's susceptibility (p = .03),interest in hpv vaccination for their child (p = .0001),and knowledge that the vaccine reduces the risk of cervical cancer (p = .001). parents of children aged 12 to 14 years old (p = .02) or who knew the vaccine reduced their child's risk of developing genital warts (p = .02) and cervical cancer (p = .001) would be more likely to comply with a mandatory hpv vaccine program. conclusions: certain characteristics define parents who support a mandatory hpv vaccination program. greater education of parents and health care providers should improve vaccination uptake,which ultimately reduces morbidity and mortality from hpv related diseases.