Give a Strong Vaccine Recommendation

Include HPV vaccine if provider has adolescent patients

At a glance

On-time vaccination is dependent upon parents choosing to vaccinate their children and adolescents. As parents’ most trusted source of vaccine information, health care professionals are well positioned to increase vaccine acceptance.

IQIP: Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers

Evidence base

Providers play a critical role in helping parents choose to vaccinate their child. Parents consider their child’s health care professionals to be their most trusted source of information when it comes to vaccines. This is true even for parents who are vaccine-hesitant or who have considered delaying one or more vaccines.

  • Parents in a 2013 study were less likely to have concerns about vaccinating their child if they received vaccination information from their child’s doctor than if they received vaccination information from other sources.
  • Results from a 2016 national survey of parents and adolescents showed that high-quality provider recommendations were positively associated with HPV vaccine uptake and negatively associated with refusal and delay.
  • A 2011 study on low HPV vaccination rates found that a lack of provider recommendations contributed to under-vaccination. Providers trained to use the presumptive announcement approach for HPV vaccination saw greater increases in HPV vaccination coverage among their patients relative to coverage among control clinics in a 2017 randomized clinical trial.

Examples of strategy implementation activities

  • Use presumptive language when giving a strong vaccine recommendation
  • Prepare and practice responses to common parent questions and/or concerns about vaccination
  • Arrange for provider education and any necessary training on the new approach
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Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)