Effect of a school-based tutorial about the HPV vaccine for female middle school students on the HPV vaccination rate in Japan: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background

In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) rescinded recommendations for including the HPV vaccine in the national immunization program in 2013, which led to a drop in the vaccination rate to < 1 %. Despite the MHLW's decision to reinstate the recommendations in 2022, the vaccination rate has remained low. The present study aimed to assess the effect of a school-based vaccine tutorial on the HPV vaccination rate in female middle-school students in Japan.

Methods

This prospective cohort study, conducted in Higashimurayama, Tokyo from September 2023 to March 2024, enrolled female students aged 13–14 years in seven middle schools. Four and three schools formed a tutorial group and control group, respectively. The difference between the pre- and post-intervention vaccination rates was assessed using a questionnaire. Additionally, knowledge about the HPV vaccine and the rate of students’ discussion of the vaccine with their family were analyzed.

Results

In total, 123 and 175 students from the tutorial and control group, respectively, were analyzed. The pre-intervention vaccination rate was 9.8 % and 7.4 % (p = 0.476), and the post-intervention vaccination rate was 16.3 % and 9.7 %, indicating a corresponding increase of 7.2 % and 2.5 % (p = 0.075). The knowledge increased to a greater degree in the tutorial group.

Conclusion

Our study revealed an increasing trend in the HPV vaccination rate resulting from the school-based tutorial although the difference was not statistically significant. School-based tutorials can increase students’ knowledge about the vaccine and enable them to make informed decisions about vaccination.