Framing of national HPV vaccine recommendations and willingness to recommend at ages 9-10

Abstract

Proactive HPV vaccination at age 9 better prevents infection and improves vaccine series completion. Because national organizations recommend starting the vaccine at different ages, we sought to understand the impact of these recommendation frames. In 2022, we surveyed 2,527 US clinical staff (45% physicians) who provide HPV vaccine for children. We randomized respondents to one of three frames based on HPV vaccine recommendations of national organizations or a no-recommendation control, and assessed willingness to recommend HPV vaccine for children ages 9–10. Respondents also reported perceived benefits of HPV vaccination at ages 9 or 12. Recommending HPV vaccination “at ages 11–12” led to lower willingness to vaccinate at ages 9–10 than control (37% vs. 54%, p