National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is observed every August to highlight the importance of vaccinations for all ages. We are highlighting the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and sharing one clinic’s best practice to increase their HPV vaccination rates in adolescents. Sharlene Matthieu, MD, an LHP board member and pediatrician at East Portland Pediatric Clinic, shared some tips about how they keep their HPV vaccination rates up.

• No matter what type of visit the child is coming in for, the MA who rooms the patient reviews the immunization records, informs the family of the vaccines the patient is due for, and notes the vaccines in the EHR for the pediatrician.
• When the MA gives the first HPV vaccination dose, they automatically put a reminder in their EHR for the second dose, 6 months later. The family is then sent a reminder.
• All East Portland Pediatric Clinic pediatricians routinely offer the vaccine to patients at age 9, which gives them more opportunity to talk about it.
• The MAs and pediatricians use proactive language, such as, "John is due to get the HPV vaccine today."
• At the patient’s 11-year visit, if the HPV vaccine hasn't been given yet, it is included in the same recommendation and using the same language as the TdaP and meningococcal vaccines. They will often sandwich the HPV vaccine between the other two. For example, "Today you are due for your TdaP, HPV, and meningococcal vaccines."
• When recommending the vaccine, pediatricians don't start the conversation with discussing sexual transmission. They first inform families that it is a common virus that 80-90% of adults have been exposed to and this virus causes tens of thousands of cases of cancer every year.

Watch this video from the CDC on how one pediatrician recommends the HPV vaccine to her patients.

And don’t forget about this year’s flu and COVID vaccines for adult and pediatric patients.