Juliet Guichon

Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy in Canada: Results of a Consultation Study by the Canadian Immunization Research Network

“Vaccine hesitancy” is a concept now frequently used in vaccination discourse. The increased popularity of this concept in both academic and public health circles is challenging previously held perspectives that individual vaccination attitudes and behaviours are a simple dichotomy of accept or reject. A consultation study was designed to assess the opinions of experts and health professionals concerning the definition, scope, and causes of vaccine hesitancy in Canada. We sent online surveys to two panels (1- vaccination experts and 2- front-line vaccine providers). Two questionnaires were completed by each panel, with data from the first questionnaire informing the development of questions for the second. Our participants defined vaccine hesitancy as an attitude (doubts, concerns) as well as a behaviour (refusing some / many vaccines, delaying vaccination). Our findings also indicate that both vaccine experts and front-line vaccine providers have the perception that vaccine rates have been declining and consider vaccine hesitancy an important issue to address in Canada. Diffusion of negative information online and lack of knowledge about vaccines were identified as the key causes of vaccine hesitancy by the participants. A common understanding of vaccine hesitancy among researchers, public health experts, policymakers and health care providers will better guide interventions that can more effectively address vaccine hesitancy within Canada.

Canadian school-based HPV vaccine programs and policy considerations

BACKGROUND The National Advisory Committee on Immunization in Canada recommends human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for females and males (ages 9-26). In Canada, the HPV vaccine is predominantly administered through publicly funded school-based programs in provinces and territories. This research provides an overview of Canadian provincial and territorial school-based HPV vaccination program administration and vaccination rates, and identifies foreseeable policy considerations. METHODS We searched the academic and grey literature and contacted administrators of provincial and territorial vaccination programs to compile information regarding HPV vaccine program administration and vaccination rates in Canadas 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions. RESULTS As of October 2016, all 13 Canadian jurisdictions vaccinate girls, and six jurisdictions include boys in school-based publicly funded HPV vaccination programs. Eleven jurisdictions administer the HPV vaccine in a two-dose schedule. The quadrivalent vaccine (HPV4) has been the vaccine predominantly used in Canada; however, the majority of provinces will likely adopt the nonavalent vaccine in the future. According to available data, vaccination uptake among females ranged between 46.7% and 93.9%, while vaccination uptake among males (in programs with available data to date) ranged between 75.0% and 87.4%. CONCLUSIONS Future research and innovation will beneficially inform Canadian jurisdictions when considering whether to administer the nonavalent vaccine, whether to implement a two or one-dose vaccination schedule, and how to improve uptake and rates of completion. The usefulness of standardizing methodologies for collecting and reporting HPV vaccination coverage and implementing a national registry were identified as important priorities.

A multiple streams analysis of the decisions to fund gender-neutral HPV vaccination in Canada

In Canada, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is licensed and recommended for females and males. Although all Canadian jurisdictions fund school-based HPV vaccine programs for girls, only six jurisdictions fund school-based HPV vaccination for boys. The research aimed to analyze the factors that underpin government decisions to fund HPV vaccine for boys using a theoretical policy model, Kingdons Multiple Streams framework. This approach assesses policy development by examining three concurrent, but independent, streams that guide analysis: Problem Stream, Policy Stream, and Politics Stream. Analysis from the Problem Stream highlights that males are affected by HPV-related diseases and are involved in transmitting HPV infection to their sexual partners. Policy Stream analysis makes clear that while the inclusion of males in HPV vaccine programs is suitable, equitable, and acceptable; there is debate regarding cost-effectiveness. Politics Stream analysis identifies the perspectives of six different stakeholder groups and highlights the contribution of government officials at the provincial and territorial level. Kingdons Multiple Streams framework helps clarify the opportunities and barriers for HPV vaccine policy change. This analysis identified that the interpretation of cost-effectiveness models and advocacy of stakeholders such as citizen-advocates and HPV-affected politicians have been particularly important in galvanizing policy change.

Investigating Canadian parents' HPV vaccine knowledge, attitudes and behaviour: A study protocol for a longitudinal national online survey

Introduction Human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, can cause anogenital warts and a number of cancers. To prevent morbidity and mortality, three vaccines have been licensed and are recommended by Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunisation (for girls since 2007 and boys since 2012). Nevertheless, HPV vaccine coverage in Canada remains suboptimal in many regions. This study will be the first to concurrently examine the correlates of HPV vaccine decision-making in parents of school-aged girls and boys and evaluate changes in parental knowledge, attitudes and behaviours over time. Methods and analysis Using a national, online survey utilising theoretically driven constructs and validated measures, this study will identify HPV vaccine coverage rates and correlates of vaccine decision-making in Canada at two time points (August–September 2016 and June–July 2017). 4606 participants will be recruited to participate in an online survey through a market research and polling firm using email invitations. Data cleaning methods will identify inattentive or unmotivated participants. Ethics and dissemination The study received research ethics board approval from the Research Review Office, Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal (CODIM-FLP-16–219). The study will adopt a multimodal approach to disseminate the study’s findings to researchers, clinicians, cancer and immunisation organisations and the public in Canada and internationally.

Barriers, supports, and effective interventions for uptake of human papillomavirus- and other vaccines within global and Canadian Indigenous peoples: a systematic review protocol.

BackgroundDespite the existence of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines with demonstrated safety and effectiveness and funded HPV vaccination programs, coverage rates are persistently lower and cervical cancer burden higher among Canadian Indigenous peoples. Barriers and supports to HPV vaccination in Indigenous peoples have not been systematically documented, nor have interventions to increase uptake in this population. This protocol aims to appraise the literature in Canadian and global Indigenous peoples, relating to documented barriers and supports to vaccination and interventions to increase acceptability/uptake or reduce hesitancy of vaccination. Although HPV vaccination is the primary focus, we anticipate only a small number of relevant studies to emerge from the search and will, therefore, employ a broad search strategy to capture literature related to both HPV vaccination and vaccination in general in global Indigenous peoples.MethodsEligible studies will include global Indigenous peoples and discuss barriers or supports and/or interventions to improve uptake or to reduce hesitancy, for the HPV vaccine and/or other vaccines. Primary outcomes are documented barriers or supports or interventions. All study designs meeting inclusion criteria will be considered, without restricting by language, location, or data type. We will use an a priori search strategy, comprised of key words and controlled vocabulary terms, developed in consultation with an academic librarian, and reviewed by a second academic librarian using the PRESS checklist. We will search several electronic databases from date of inception, without restrictions. A pre-defined group of global Indigenous websites will be reviewed for relevant gray literature. Bibliographic searches will be conducted for all included studies to identify relevant reviews. Data analysis will include an inductive, qualitative, thematic synthesis and a quantitative analysis of measured barriers and supports, as well as a descriptive synthesis and quantitative summary of measures for interventions.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this study will contribute the first systematic review of documented barriers, supports, and interventions for vaccination in general and for HPV vaccination. The results of this study are expected to inform future research, policies, programs, and community-driven initiatives to enhance acceptability and uptake of HPV vaccination among Indigenous peoples.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42017048844

O08.2 A national survey of canadians on hpv: comparing knowledge, barriers and preventive practices of physicians to those of consumers

Introduction This Canadian survey of physicians and consumers aimed to explore knowledge, barriers and preventive practices regarding HPV. Methods We surveyed general practitioners (GPs) (n=337) and obstetrician/gynaecologists (OB/GYNs) (n=81); vaccinated (VW) (n=337) and unvaccinated 18–45 year old women (UW) (n=802), and 18–26 year old men (M) (n=200) in May and June 2016 using an online panel. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-4.8% for physicians and +/-2.7% for consumers, 19 times out of 20. Two posters with more detailed individual information about both groups will be presented at the Cape Town, South Africa IPVS meeting in March 2017. Results 83% GPs recommend or administer HPV vaccine to adults. 93%–98% of consumers said doctors are trustworthy sources of information. 99%–100% of physicians compared to VW (93%), UW (85%) and M (59%) somewhat or strongly agree that vaccination is an important aspect of disease prevention. A higher proportion of patients were concerned about vaccine safety (VW (26%), UW (40%) and M (36%)) than were physicians (5%–11%). 58%–61% of consumers were generally cautious about taking any vaccine. Cost was seen as a barrier by 92%–95% of physicians, however only 18%–20% of consumers considered cost a barrier. Consumers accurately answered a majority of questions about HPV, however physicians rated consumers’ understanding of HPV to be low (11%–14% very good and 49%–56% somewhat good knowledge). VW (34%–31%) and VM (13%–31%) said physician recommendations/discussions did motivate them to be vaccinated. UW (55%–38%) and UM (57%–49%) said physician recommendations/discussions would motivate them to be vaccinated. 60%–66% of physicians say they routinely discuss HPV vaccination with patients. Conclusions Some divergent views about HPV knowledge, barriers and preventive practices exist between physicians and consumers. These divergent views should be taken into account in consumer counselling and physician training.