Background/Objective: This study aimed to investigate children’s’ and parents’ attitudes and knowledge about HPV (human papillomavirus) following introduction of gender-neutral HPV vaccination in the national immunization program (NIP) in Sweden. An evaluation of a tailored information package for parents and children launched by the Public Health Agency (PHAS) alongside the introduction of gender-neutral HPV vaccination was also performed
Method: In total, 276 parents and 206 children from 22 School Health Services responded to a web-based survey, spring 2021 to January 2022.
Result: Overall, parents (78%) perceived HPV vaccination to be of importance for their child’s health. About half of the participating children and two thirds of the parents had used the tailored information package for the HPV vaccination. The fact sheet was mostly used by parents (55%) and children (20%) and also perceived as easy to understand (99% and 68% respectively). For both children and parents, the school nurse (70% respectively) was the primary source for information. The teacher (59%) was also a common source of information of HPV vaccination for the children.
Conclusion: The school nurse is essential for informing about HPV vaccination for both children and parents. There is a need to strengthen the knowledge regarding HPV vaccination among teachers as they also are a key source of information for the majority of the children. Additional interventions are needed to support parents in making informed decisions for HPV vaccinations.