Topic > Importance of increasing HPV vaccination in children but also other tumors and genital warts. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that adolescents ages eleven to twelve receive regular vaccines to prevent diseases, including HPV-associated cancers. The current recommendation is two doses, with the second dose to be administered six to twelve months after the initial dose. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ethnicity plays a role in the epidemiology of cervical cancer with twice as many African American women dying as white women. Hispanic women also have a high mortality rate compared to white women. The problem is low HPV vaccine uptake among adolescents within the target population (minority 9th graders at Washington High). Currently, about 40% of ninth graders have received at least the first dose of the HPV vaccine. The goal is to increase that number by approximately 20-25% and increase the prevalence of HPV among adolescents in this population by implementing evidence-based tactics. Background and Meaning A gap exists when it comes to vaccinating children appropriately for the HPV vaccine. According to research, barriers include parental fears, lack of communication between doctors and parents, religious beliefs and the perceived stigma that accompanies the vaccine, all of which contribute to poor vaccine uptake. The key to increasing uptake is addressing these barriers and implementing sustainable interventions. In the United States, current rates are 39.7% for girls and 21.6% for boys ages 13 to 17 for completion of the three-dose vaccine series. In 2014-2015, coverage among adolescents ages 13 to 17 increased for each dose of HPV vaccine among males (from 41.7% to 49.8%) and increased modestly for females ( from 60.0% to 62.8%). According to Reagan Steiner (2016). ), in 2015, nationwide, all adolescent HPV vaccination coverage with ≥ 1 dose was 56.1% (95% CI = 54.9%–57.4%), with ≥ 2 doses were 45.4% (95% CI = 44.2-3we4z%–46.7%), and with ≥3 doses it was 34.9% (95% CI = 33.7%–36.1 %). The HPV vaccine is not routinely administered during visits where other recommended vaccines are administered and demonstrates continued missed opportunities for the prevention of HPV-associated outcomes, including cancers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016), the 2015 Texas HPV Vaccination and Immunization Survey showed that approximately 66% of girls received their first dose of vaccine in Houston . The survey revealed that about 58.1% of girls received the second dose and about 42.8% received the third dose. The survey revealed that Houston boys were vaccinated less than girls in 2015: Only about 58.6 percent of boys received their first vaccine, followed by 46.4 percent and 22.7 percent of those vaccinated with the second and third doses. Statement of the Problem Parents of adolescent children are receptive to and seek advice from their medical providers. Improving communication between parents and providers could increase HPV vaccine uptake. Additionally, also addressing parents' fears and implementing school-wide interventionsit could be effective. It is important to address and understand the current barriers to the increasing spread of HPV before strategies can be successfully implemented. Caregivers should gain a deeper understanding of their parents' personal beliefs and feelings. The link between HPV and cancer should be reiterated and discussed thoroughly. The technology is on the rise, and using it to educate teenagers about the importance of the vaccine could be helpful. It is important to design and test context-specific strategies to improve adolescent vaccine uptake and dose completion rates. Potential recommendations include the need for an integrated approach ranging from mass availability of vaccines nationwide to targeting adolescents at school and during health care visits to improve the effectiveness of immunization programs. . Further research is recommended to explore why missed vaccination opportunities exist and to develop evidence-based strategies to reduce the number of missed opportunities and improve adolescent vaccination coverage. The decline in HPV vaccination in adolescents in recent years, especially among adolescent girls, can be addressed by improving communication between healthcare providers and parents, who often ignore medical advice or refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated based on misconceptions which could easily be dispelled with clear information and evidence. Information and education are common threads running through the issue, providing the means to strengthen public and medical resources and develop multifaceted approaches to the situation that communicate effectively to key stakeholders, such as healthcare providers and parents. From an economic perspective, it is important to consider closing the gap among disadvantaged or minority populations regarding vaccinations. The cost of getting vaccinated in hopes of eliminating the risk of contracting HPV is more cost-effective than the cost of treating HPV itself. According to Richardson (2007), priorities should include investment in health as a means of increasing the child's chances of becoming a healthy adult and maximizing his or her intellectual potential rather than becoming a burden on social systems. HPV vaccines can be highly effective and potentially life-saving. when administered to adolescents as per clinical studies. These studies also show that “HPV vaccination can be cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $100,000 or less per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained when administered to women of similar age to 12 years in the context of cervical screening intervals, typically greater than 1 year". Playing “catch-up” and being vaccinated until age 21 will increase the cost per QALY to more than $100,000, which can strain an economy (Armstrong, 2010) especially when the population is already underserved. Evaluation Approach The researcher identified various types of evaluation data and data collection methods based on barriers in the literature (parental fears, lack of communication from the provider during the clinic visit, lack of vaccine knowledge from parents, concerns about effectiveness, lack of knowledge on the part of the school nurse). According to Rosen et al., (2015) school nurses can increase their influence on parents regarding the HPV vaccine by focusing on increasing positive attitudes toward the vaccine and strengthening perceptions of their role as opinion leaders. Also interventions focused onproviders, such as parent education and providing individualized feedback, have produced lasting improvements in HPV vaccination rates (Perkins et al., 2015). Beavis & Levinson (2016) reported that physicians in the South were less likely to offer the vaccine than physicians in other regions. It is important to understand your audience and the communities you are targeting because each group has different cultural needs when it comes to learning and retaining information. Parent systems such as phone calls, letters, outreach visits, focus groups, and text messages are interventions that have proven effective and have increased uptake of the HPV vaccine. Organization Description The Houston Independent School District is the largest public school system in the State of Texas with two hundred and eighty-seven schools overall. There are approximately 215,000 students, of which approximately 62.1% are Hispanic, 24.5% are African American, 3.7% are Asian, 8.4% are white, and approximately 75.5% are economically disadvantaged. Booker T. Washington High School has approximately 700 students enrolled. It is located in the community of Independence Heights in Houston, Texas. Approximately 56% of students are African American, 40% are Hispanic, and 3% are white. About 69% of students come from low-income families, so this is a Title 1 school. The per capita household income for 77018 is $41. Most students who attend the school do not have medical insurance or they have a form of Medicaid. Health and Medical Services assigned me to Washington High for this project. Using the high school for the pilot study will support the design and implementation of the project. It allows access to the teenager's parents, school vaccination records, names of GPs and the organization of focus groups. Additionally, it allows for observation of vaccination suggestions during 9th grade registration by the school nurse, is a convenient way to distribute and receive questionnaires, and, most importantly, provides an opportunity to build rapport with students and parents. Stakeholders include the Houston Independent School District Health and Medical Services (HMS) manager, community physicians, school nurses and school principals. These individuals were chosen because they have a genuine interest and concern regarding HPV and its effects on adolescents. The interprofessional team, consisting of the district HMS department manager and a nurse directly under her, will facilitate and ensure access to vaccination data reported to the State. They are also responsible for choosing schools willing to allow the project to take place. The principal of Washington High is also a member of the team as he allows for the collection and distribution of questionnaires, facilitates focus groups, and allows a space for dialogue between parents and nurses. MacrosystemFor the purposes of this project, the macrosystem is described as the district Houston Independent School (HISD). The district establishes policy guidelines and monitors changes through data collection. HISD is made up of students from diverse social, economic and racial backgrounds. The culture within HISD is to maintain a sense of safety on each campus and to push each child academically to their maximum potential. The child's macrosystem is also influenced by the family's socioeconomic status, political opinions, religion and gender. It is important to keep in mind that when considering how a child will interpret experiences and what they will experience, these factors must be considered. Parental beliefs, including life experiences and cultural influences, will have an effect.