"IT IS TIME FOR HPV VACCINATION TO BE CONSIDERED PART OF ROUTINE PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE"
BARBARA S. LEVY, MD (MARCH 2017)
Nurse practitioner urges advocacy for HPV vaccination
I could not agree more with Dr. Levy's view on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. I am a Doctor of Nursing Practice student and improving HPV vaccination rates in adolescents is the focus of my research project for the next year. Based on the current literature, the most significant factors for increasing vaccination rates are patient education and provider recommendation. As the article mentions, "special" attention should not be given to the HPV vaccine, because this raises questions with families presenting to the office for routine well-child care. There have been many missed opportunities for vaccination of our young people over the past 10 years. As a result, we will continue to see increases in HPV-related cancers. We have a vaccine that has the potential to significantly decrease these cases, but it is underutilized. The recent recommendation of a 2-dose series (before the age of 15) should make completing the series easier. I urge all providers to be better advocates for their patients and make appropriate changes to their current practice in order to reduce the significant burden this disease carries.
Tiffany Edwards, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
Seaford, Delaware
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