HPV vaccine completion rates continue to fall

A new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch has revealed an alarming statistic regarding HPV vaccine completion rate: there has been a 63% drop in girls and young women (ages 9-18) completing the HPV vaccine since 2006. While the high cost of the HPV vaccine can be seen as a potential barrier regarding vaccine compliance, the authors are quick to refute this notion, claiming that all 271,976 participants in the study were fully insured for the duration of vaccine completion. Therefore, non-compliance is believed to be due to lack of communication between patients and parents regarding vaccine dossage, along with neglecting to schedule follow-up visits with physicians. More information on the study can be found here.