The Madison County Health Department is pleased to announce that three healthcare provider practices were recently presented with an Immunization Champion award for increasing their vaccination rates to protect boys and girls from human papillomavirus.
Child Health Associates in Oneida, Family Health Center of Hamilton, and Family Health Center of Morrisville were the three practices who achieved the highest HPV vaccine series completion rates for 13- to 17-year-olds in Madison County in January 2016 while also achieving an increase in the HPV vaccine series completion rate from January 2015 to January 2016.
The driving force behind the campaign the New York State Department of Health and local health departments kicked off in early 2015 is “HPV vaccine is cancer prevention.”
Madison County Health Department worked with 12 healthcare provider practices to increase the HPV vaccine series completion rate for 13- to 17-year-olds in Madison County.
Health Department staff provided baseline vaccination rates to each practice, along with strategies and educational materials recommended from the Centers for Disease Control. Health Department staff continued to check in with each practice over the course of the year, providing an update on their practice rates in September, offering additional materials and assistance, and seeking feedback.
As a result, the Madison County report showed a six percent increase in the HPV vaccine series completion rate among 13- to 17-year-olds in one year.
This roughly triples the initial goal set.
“We are proud of our healthcare providers, who have worked diligently to educate parents on the importance of their children receiving the HPV vaccine,” said Cheryl Geiler, Director of Community Health for Madison County Health Department.