Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among a national sample of United States adults ages 18-45: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

To assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected catch-up HPV vaccination among age-eligible adults (ages 18-45). The current study leverages a national, cross-sectional sample of US adults ages 18-45 years to assess the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions to catch-up HPV vaccination in 2021. The sample was restricted to adults intending to receive the HPV vaccine. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the probability of 1) pandemic-related HPV vaccination disruption and 2) uncertainty about pandemic-related HPV vaccination disruption. Report of ‘no pandemic-related HPV vaccination disruption’ served as the reference category. Among adults intending to get the HPV vaccine (n=1,683), 8.6% reported pandemic-related HPV vaccination disruption, 14.7% reported uncertainty about vaccination disruption, and 76.7% reported no disruption. Factors associated with higher odds of pandemic-related vaccination disruption included non-English language preference (OR 3.20;95% CI 1.99-5.13), being a parent/guardian (OR 1.77;95% CI 1.18-2.66), having at least one healthcare visit in the past year (OR 1.97;95% CI 1.10-3.53), being up-to-date on the tetanus vaccine (OR 1.81;95% CI 1.19-2.75), and being a cancer survivor (OR 2.57;95% CI 1.52-4.34). Catch-up HPV vaccination for age-eligible adults is a critical public health strategy for reducing HPV-related cancers. While a small percentage of adults reported pandemic-related disruptions to HPV vaccination, certain adults (e.g., individuals with a non-English language preference and cancer survivors) were more likely to report a disruption. Interventions may be needed that increase accessibility of catch-up HPV vaccination among populations with reduced healthcare access during the pandemic.