Paediatricians' attitudes and practices towards HPV vaccination.
OBJECTIVE
In June 2006, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil, was licensed for use in the United States. We examined whether paediatricians would recommend the vaccine, obstacles they encountered and characteristics associated with not recommending the HPV vaccine to all eligible patients.


METHODS
Four hundred fifty general paediatricians, 200 members of the section of infectious diseases and 200 members of the section of adolescent medicine of the American Academy of Pediatrics web-based directory were surveyed.


RESULTS
Of 752 eligible paediatricians, 373 (50%) responded. Eighty-eight percent (292 of 332) of respondents stated that they would give the vaccine to all, 36 (11%) would give it to some and 4 (1%) would give it to none of their eligible patients. The main obstacles were cost and safety; a minority expressed concern about the vaccine's potential impact on adolescent sexual activity. Physicians who would not recommend HPV vaccination to all eligible patients were more likely to be generalists, have higher intrinsic religiosity, self-describe as conservative, report later adoption of new drugs/vaccines, and would not encourage vaccinating their own daughter or the daughter of a close friend.


CONCLUSIONS
Although paediatricians are highly supportive of the HPV vaccine, certain characteristics may predict reluctance to immunize.
Ishibashi
Kimiko L
KL
Advanced Medical Arts Pediatrics, Reno, NV, USA.
Koopmans
Joy
J
Curlin
Farr A
FA
Alexander
Kenneth A
KA
Ross
Lainie Friedman
LF
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D000068857:Human Papillomavirus Recombinant Vaccine Quadrivalent, Types 6, 11, 16, 18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D010372:Pediatrics; D012067:Religion; D014481:United States
D000068857:Human Papillomavirus Recombinant Vaccine Quadrivalent, Types 6, 11, 16, 18; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines