Opportunities to increase rates of human papillomavirus vaccination in the New South Wales school program through enhanced catch-up.

Background The National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Program provides HPV vaccine to high school students through school-based vaccination. We aimed to: 1) assess the vaccine completion rates achieved when general practice is used for completing doses missed at school; 2) estimate the extent of under-notification by general practices of vaccine doses administered; and 3) assess the reasons reported by parents of students for non-completion of HPV vaccination.

METHODS: A postal survey was conducted of parents and carers of students and identified, using school-program records, as incompletely vaccinated in a large regional area of northern NSW vaccinated during 2010. Information about additional HPV vaccine doses received or reasons for non-completion were sought. Responses were analysed and records cross-checked against the National HPV Vaccination Program Register.

RESULTS: Of 660 parents or carers contacted, 207 (31.4%) responded. We found: 1) completion rates increased, an additional 122/207 (45.2%) students had completed all three doses of HPV through their general practitioner (GP); 2) under-notification of GP doses to the National HPV Vaccination Program Register was an issue with only 5/165 (3.0%) reported; 3) the main reason for non-completion was being unaware of the opportunity to catch-up at a GP.

CONCLUSIONS: Underreporting by GPs of HPV vaccine doses administered and failure to complete courses identifies two opportunities to increase HPV vaccine coverage. These could be addressed by extending provision of catch-up HPV doses in school and by developing practice software solutions for automatic notification of doses from GPs. Reasons given by parents for non-completion, mostly logistical barriers, indicate a high degree of acceptance of HPV vaccination.