Human Papillomavirus Vaccinations During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Middle Schools in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

IMMUNIZATION; MIDDLE schools; MEDICAL protocols; HUMAN papillomavirus vaccines; PAPILLOMAVIRUS diseases; COVID-19 pandemic

This quasi-experimental study (a community-based, physician-led human papillomavirus [HPV] education campaign and school-based vaccination program) followed 6481 students at eight Pharr–San Juan–Alamo Independent School District (Rio Grande Valley, Texas) middle schools between August 2016 and March 2021. We describe the successes and challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. HPV vaccine initiation and completion rates increased 1.29-fold and 1.47-fold, respectively, between June 2019 and March 2021. Between March 2020 and March 2021, 268 HPV vaccine doses were provided through 24 school-based interventions. Our program continued successes seen in increasing HPV vaccination rates and reducing possible HPV-associated cancers. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(9):1269–1272. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306970) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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