Time to Vaccinate

Tiempo de Vacunarte / Time to Vaccinate

Background

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection nationally, and over 150 subtypes exist. High-risk subtypes of HPV can cause cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancer in women, penile cancer in men, and oropharyngeal and anal cancer in both men and women. 

Approximately 43% of men and women have genital HPV and about half of those are infected with high-risk subtypes (22.7%). High-risk subtypes are responsible for approximately 70% of HPV-associated cancer cases. 

HPV infection can be prevented through a vaccine series, which has been recommended since 2006. However, vaccination completion among all adolescents 13-17 years old is at 48.6%. 

Barriers to uptake of the vaccine include lack of knowledge about HPV and the vaccine, negative beliefs about the vaccine, and lack of accessibility to receiving the vaccine.

Overview of Program

The overall goal of Tiempo de Vacunarte is to reduce the burden of HPV-associated cancers, most particularly cervical, in border and rural counties by providing no-cost vaccines. Components of the program include an educational session, social media messaging, and no-cost HPV vaccinations.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible participants are girls/women and boys/men between the ages of 9 and 45 years old who are uninsured/underinsured, have not completed the HPV vaccination series, and have a Texas address. Parents will be providing consent and receiving the education for minors 9 to 17 years old.

Funding

This program has been funded by two Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) grants since 2014. The program covers five West Texas counties, including El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Presidio, and Brewster Counties.

 

Program Outcomes
Individuals Recruited	1,796	Completion Rate	29.2%
Vaccines Given	2,483
1st dose Given	1,212
2nd dose Given	747
3rd dose Given	524
Number of Individuals Completing Series	524