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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Dec:12:200217.
doi: 10.1016/j.tvr.2021.200217. Epub 2021 May 26.

Does the number of doses matter? A qualitative study of HPV vaccination acceptability nested in a dose reduction trial in Tanzania

Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Does the number of doses matter? A qualitative study of HPV vaccination acceptability nested in a dose reduction trial in Tanzania

K R Mitchell et al. Tumour Virus Res. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Background: The multi-dose regimen is a known barrier to successful human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Emerging evidence suggests that one vaccine dose could protect against HPV. While there are clear advantages to a single dose schedule, beliefs about vaccine dosage in low and middle income countries (LMICs) are poorly understood. We investigated acceptability of dose-reduction among girls, and parents/guardians of girls, randomised to receive one, two or three doses in an HPV vaccine dose-reduction and immunobridging study (DoRIS trial) in Tanzania.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews with girls (n = 19), and parents/guardians of girls (n = 18), enrolled in the study and completing their vaccine course.

Results: Most participants said they entrusted decisions about the number of HPV vaccine doses to experts. Random allocation to the different dose groups did not feature highly in the decision to participate in the trial. Given a hypothetical choice, girls generally said they would prefer fewer doses in order to avoid the pain of injections. Parental views were mixed, with most wanting whichever dose was most efficacious. Nonetheless, a few parents equated a higher number of doses with greater protection.

Conclusion: Vaccine trials and programmes will need to employ careful messaging to explain that one dose offers sufficient protection against HPV should emerging evidence from ongoing dose-reduction clinical trials support this.

Keywords: Acceptability; Dose reduction; HPV vaccination; Qualitative; Randomisation; Trial participation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Card exercise showing extent to which factors were considered in decision to participate in trial.

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