Success of community approach to HPV vaccination in school-based and non-school-based settings in Haiti

Abstract

Objectives To assess the success of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program among adolescent girls aged 9–14 years in Haiti and to understand predictors of completion of a two-dose HPV vaccination series. Methods Data collection was conducted during HPV vaccination campaigns in Port-au-Prince between August 2016 and April 2017. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used to examine characteristics associated with vaccination series completion of school based and non-school based vaccination delivery modalities. Results Of the 2,445 adolescent girls who participated in the awareness program, 1,994 participants (1,307 in non-school program, 687 in school program) received the first dose of the vaccine; 1,199 (92%) in the non-school program and 673 (98%) in the school program also received the second dose. Menarche (OR: 1.87; 95% CI, 1.11–3.14), if the participant was a prior patient at the GHESKIO clinics (OR: 2.17; 95% CI, 1.32–3.58), and participating in the school-based program (OR: 4.17; 95% CI, 2.14–8.12) were significantly associated with vaccination completion. Conclusions Vaccination in school- and non-school-based settings was successful, suggesting that a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign using either approach would be successful using either approach.