On the Path to Prevention from the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program March 2022

Last month, the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program launched the Path to a Bright Future awareness campaign to promote HPV vaccination to parents and caregivers who make vaccination decisions for their children. Now, with more than 100 partners, we are focused on ending HPV cancers for everyone. We are enthused by the excitement of our campaign partners. We hope you will consider joining us. We will soon release additional tools to help our partners share the message: HPV vaccination is cancer prevention.

We are impressed by the work of our partners, and we are pleased to feature several of their upcoming events. This includes the inaugural Adolescent Immunization Action Week April 4–8. The pandemic’s effects will continue for years to come, since an estimated 3.5 million adolescents missed out on HPV vaccination in the last 2 years. Our program supports efforts to get adolescents back on track with HPV and other recommended vaccinations. Learn more in this month’s e-newsletter.

We also are planning a number of upcoming events and trainings that may be of interest. The HPV Cancer Prevention Program team is identifying ways to support our partners and add new products. We look forward to sharing more about these in upcoming communications.

Please share this e-newsletter with others who may be interested and ask them to subscribe, too. We also want to hear from you if you have opportunities and information we can share. Email PreventHPV@stjude.org with questions.

HPV vaccination is cancer prevention.

The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program hosted a weeklong virtual seminar series that concluded on International HPV Awareness Day. Experts and survivors of HPV cancers shared ways to help improve HPV vaccination coverage.

The celebration of International HPV Awareness Day included a moderated dialogue emphasizing the benefits of HPV vaccination as cancer prevention with a panel of parents and caregivers who chose HPV vaccination for their children. Health care provider champions advocated for HPV vaccinations as a cancer prevention tool.

The series culminated with a message from James Downing, MD, president and CEO of St. Jude, supporting the Path to a Bright Future awareness campaign. He highlighted the importance of on-time HPV vaccination, collaboration, implementation of evidence-based interventions, and support of policies that encourage vaccination efforts.

Watch the sessions:

February 28: Addressing Inequities in HPV Vaccination Coverage and HPV Cancers
Co-organized with Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health
March 1: Improving HPV Vaccination Coverage: Starting at Age 9
Co-organized with Memphis and Shelby County HPV Cancer Prevention Roundtable
March 2: No Longer Invisible: Learning from Survivors.
Co-organized with Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health
March 3: Mitigating the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on HPV Vaccination
March 4: Celebrating International HPV Awareness Day 2022

The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program recently hosted a seminar that featured parents who described why they chose HPV vaccination for their children. Panelists talked about the importance of using credible and trusted sources for HPV vaccination information. They also spoke about their duty to protect their children from preventable diseases.

Christy Russ, mother of a 19-year-old daughter and tween-twin sons, said motherhood has compelled her to seek out any resource to help her children become thriving adults.

“Vaccinations are real game changers for health care,” Russ said. “I recall having chickenpox as a child, and I had never been so sick. Once I recovered, I assumed that chickenpox would be a ‘rite of passage’ for all children. As a mother, I learned of the chickenpox vaccine, and I had my children vaccinated. I’m glad that my children don’t have to experience the chickenpox virus like I did."

“When my pediatrician recommended a vaccination that would prevent cancer, I didn’t hesitate—knowing that this vaccination could save my children from developing a potentially life-altering illness that’s much worse than chickenpox. In this way, I am honoring my role as a mother and supporting quality years of living for my children.”

Parents and caregivers can learn more about HPV vaccination through the Path to a Bright Future campaign.

Celebrate Adolescent Immunization Action Week April 4–8

The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program will join Unity Consortium to urge parents and health care providers to get adolescents up to date on vaccinations during Adolescent Immunization Action Week 2022.

Many families delayed adolescent well visits and vaccinations during the pandemic. Parents, caregivers and health care providers play a vital role in getting adolescent vaccinations back on track. On-time vaccinations protect adolescents against vaccine-preventable diseases before they are ever exposed to them. These diseases include meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and HPV cancers. Now is the time to protect adolescents from these potentially life-threatening diseases.

Here’s how you can get involved during Adolescent Immunization Action Week 2022:

If a well visit or vaccination has been missed or is due, schedule it now. These visits are important to keep adolescents healthy.
Stay up to date on vaccinations.
Join Unity’s parent webinar Monday, April 4, at 11 a.m. CDT. Moderated by Chelsea Clinton, MD, this engaging discussion will address the challenges of prioritizing adolescent immunization and preventive health care. Register for the Unity Parent Webinar.
Share information with friends and on social media about catching up on missed vaccines. Use the hashtag #AIAW2. Access graphics and tools to help spread the word about the importance of vaccination.

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World Immunization Week Is April 24–30

World Health Organization (WHO) works with countries across the globe to raise awareness of the value of vaccines and immunization. WHO also strives to ensure that governments obtain the necessary guidance and technical support to implement high-quality immunization programs.

The goal of World Immunization Week 2022 is for more people and their communities to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases and to enjoy long life for all.

World Immunization Week is even more important this year as we navigate a pandemic that has created a marked decrease in many lifesaving vaccinations. While some vaccinations have returned to near normal levels, others—including HPV vaccination—have not. World Immunization Week is an ideal time to reinvigorate awareness efforts and provide education around the lifesaving benefits of vaccinations. Lives are saved and communities are healthier when vaccinated.

Learn more about the campaign. You can download resources, assets and editable design files that are available in six languages.

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National Minority Health Month: Give Your Community a Boost

April is National Minority Health Month, a time to help raise awareness and highlight the importance of reducing health disparities that affect racial and ethnic minority populations. The theme for this year’s observance is Give Your Community a Boost! This year's observance focuses on the continued importance of COVID-19 vaccination, including boosters.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, "experiences with racism and discrimination can contribute to mistrust of the health care system among racial and ethnic minority groups, leading to mistrust of factual information on vaccines and boosters."

Vaccines are one of the most important and effective public health tools available to prevent a variety of diseases across the lifespan. People of all ages need to stay up to date on recommended immunizations to help prevent serious diseases. Vaccinations also help protect those around us. Everyone has an important role in keeping communities safe and healthy.

In this spirit, the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program has partnered with Meharry Medical College on a campaign to improve COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the Nashville, Tennessee, area and beyond. The campaign includes information on COVID-19 vaccinations for adults, teens and children. The approach allows users to choose topics that interest them. Learn more about the Your COVID Vax Facts campaign.

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Register for Cancer Control Implementation Science Base Camp

Staff and members of cancer control programs and coalitions, along with their partners, are invited to apply for a new and free training on implementation science. The training is specifically designed for cancer-control professionals.

The George Washington University Cancer Center’s Cancer Control Implementation Science Base Camp includes brief sessions spaced across July through October 2022.

Applications are due May 1. Share this one-pager and watch these three videos to learn more:

For more information, email Joe Astorino.

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Upcoming Events

Implementation Science in Action and Research Opportunities on HPV Cancer Prevention: HPV Vaccination Across Contexts

The HPV Research Group of the St. Jude–Washington University Implementation Sciences Collaborative invites you to explore opportunities for collaborations on HPV implementation science research across community, clinical and policy settings.

Join us Thursday, April 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m. CDT for the last of four sessions focused on HPV vaccination and implementation science research. Presenters will examine opportunities and next steps for research collaborations, including an overview of findings from a cross-setting systematic literature review and federal funding portfolio analysis.

Register today. Access recordings of previous sessions. Heather Brandt, PhD, and Lisa Klesges, PhD, lead the HPV Vaccination Research Group. For more information, email Carrie Stoll.

Immunize Arkansas 2022 HPV Summit
Immunize Arkansas will host the 2022 HPV Summit Friday, May 6, from 8:30 am to 3 p.m. CDT. The summit for medical and dental providers will:

Connect HPV and cancer
Provide tools to talk to patients about the benefits of the HPV vaccine
Share best practices about ways to increase HPV immunization rates

Learn more and register.

Seminar: Using Social Media to Create Impact Around HPV Vaccination
The Memphis and Shelby County HPV Cancer Prevention Roundtable will host a virtual seminar on using social media to improve HPV vaccination coverage. The seminar will be Tuesday, May 17, from noon to 1 p.m. CDT.

Speakers are Katharine Head, PhD of Indiana University and Sarah Tanksley of Tennessee Department of Health Care Finance and Administration. The session moderator is Elise Vance of the Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer.

Learn more. For more information, email Carol Minor.

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April Showers Bring May Flowers

April is typically when rain shower activity sparks, and the flowers and plants begin to bloom. Members of the HPV Cancer Prevention Program share their favorite thing to do on an April rainy day.

“I love sitting on the porch to listen to the rain fall. It helps me to relax.” – Andrea Stubbs, administrative director

“Spring rain, a cup of coffee and HGTV.” – Carol Minor, program coordinator

“I love rainy days. I open my windows and listen to the rain falling. I can stay in my pajamas all day and read or watch movies.” – Julia Neely, program coordinator

“I love to binge-watch documentaries on rainy days. The sound of the rain helps me to focus on knowledge that is being presented to me at that time with little to no distractions.” – Brooke Morgan, program coordinator

“I love to spend quality time with my husband and watch movies.” – Portia Knowlton, program coordinator

“Read. I have a new Kindle and I am reading one of my favorite books, Animal Farm by George Orwell, again. I love to snuggle in my bed and read.” – Contrina Huffman, graduate student assistant

“I enjoy having tea and rewatching my favorite movies on a rainy day.” – Duha Magzoub, graduate student assistant

“I like to play board games and online shopping therapy.” – Ursula Leflore, administrative specialist

“I really like to curl up with a good book on a rainy day.” – Heather Brandt, director

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Join Us on a Path to a Bright Future

The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program’s Path to a Bright Future campaign spotlights the benefits of on-time HPV vaccination to prevent cancer in children ages 9–12. The campaign also elevates awareness of the dangers of HPV pre-cancers and cancers.

Join us:

Get your child vaccinated against HPV by their 13th birthday: If you or your child is in the recommended age range (ages 9–26 and possibly until age 45), get vaccinated.
Encourage others to get their children vaccinated: Normalize HPV vaccination as cancer prevention.
Share the facts: HPV vaccination is safe, effective and durable. It prevents 6 types of cancer.

Learn more and join the campaign.

Get Free St. Jude HPV Education Materials Today

The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program has created a series of HPV fact sheets that emphasize basic information about HPV vaccination and include action steps to prevent HPV cancers.

Four versions of the fact sheets target various audiences:

General public
Parents
Health care providers
Cancer patients and families

Select the versions most appropriate for those you serve. Download the fact sheets or email PreventHPV@stjude.org to have copies mailed to you.