Are attitudes and beliefs about the HPV vaccine specific to that vaccine?

An HPV vaccine has been available since 2006. Information about knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (KAB) towards the HPV vaccine is critical to program development. We aimed to determine whether KAB were specific to the HPV vaccine or to vaccines in general. A community-based sample of 250 people aged ≥18 years were recruited in New York City between 10/2006 and 9/2007. The sample was 34% women, 48% Black, 39% Hispanic, and 6% White; the mean age was 39.8 years. 35% had heard of the HPV vaccine. We asked 14 KAB questions about the HPV, HBV and influenza vaccines that focused on potential concerns if participants were vaccinated. We compared HPV KAB to HBV and influenza KAB separately using a two-sample test of proportions. There were no significant differences between HPV and HBV KAB. For HPV and influenza comparisons, we noted significant differences: if vaccinated, more people reported that they would not become infected influenza and be worried about a) testing positive for influenza, b) having influenza, and c) minor influenza vaccine-related side effects as compared to the HPV vaccine. These preliminary results suggest that attitudes towards the HPV vaccine are generally not specific to that vaccine and that people are more worried about side effects related to a well-established vaccine. However, the majority of people did not believe or were unsure that the HPV vaccine would prevent HPV. Future studies are needed to examine whether KAB among parents, who are important stakeholders for the HPV vaccine, are vaccine specific.