5 Ways to Boost Your HPV Vaccination Rates

Bundle your recommendation for all adolescent vaccines, including HPV vaccine, in the same way, on the same day. You can start the vaccine discussion with, “Now that your child is 11, they need three vaccines to help protect against meningitis, HPV cancers, and whooping cough. We’ll give these shots during today’s visit. Do you have any questions about these vaccines?”

Your office staff should receive training on how to successfully communicate with parents and patients about HPV vaccination. Starting with the front office, make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to proper vaccination practices, recommendations, and how to answer parents’ questions.

Establish a policy to check patients’ immunization status at every visit and always recommend and administer vaccines your patients need. Call to remind families about getting vaccines if they fall behind or need follow-up doses to complete the series. Develop a process where all clinicians in your practice compare HPV vaccination rates to rates of meningococcal and Tdap vaccination.

Providing personal examples of how you support vaccinations for your family members shows you believe they are important. Share how you recommended or administered HPV vaccine for your own children, grandchildren, and other family members. Sharing your personal experience may make parents more comfortable in their decision to vaccinate their child.

Learn how to answer some of parents’ most common questions about HPV vaccination. Be prepared to answer parents’ questions succinctly, accurately, and empathetically by using terms that they understand. A parent will often accept your explanations if presented with their children’s best interests in mind.