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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Several prophylactic vaccines against COVID-19 are currently in development, yet little is known about people’s acceptability of a COVID-19 vaccine. We conducted an online survey of adults ages 18 and older in the United States (n = 2,006) in May 2020. Multivariable relative risk regression identified correlates of participants’ willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., vaccine acceptability). Overall, 69% of participants were willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Participants were more likely to be willing to get vaccinated if they thought their healthcare provider would recommend vaccination (RR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.49–2.02) or if they were moderate (RR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02–1.16) or liberal (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07–1.22) in their political leaning. Participants were also more likely to be willing to get vaccinated if they reported higher levels of perceived likelihood getting a COVID-19 infection in the future (RR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01–1.09), perceived severity of COVID-19 infection (RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04–1.11), or perceived effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine (RR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.40–1.52). Participants were less likely to be willing to get vaccinated if they were non-Latinx black (RR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.74–0.90) or reported a higher level of perceived potential vaccine harms (RR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92–0.98). Many adults are willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine, though acceptability should be monitored as vaccine development continues. Our findings can help guide future efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptability (and uptake if a vaccine becomes available).

Faced with a dreary routine of search-and-find, field-workers would inevitably have missed many sites, particularly those not in the usual categories (top on my list of such \"specials\" include the baptismal font in a church and the insides of a metal sculpture). [...]it is inconceivable that every container in all those countries was located and treated. According to the manufacturers, treatments remain effective by slow release of the insecticide for at least three months.

To support efforts to address parental hesitancy towards early childhood vaccination, we sought to validate the Vaccination Confidence Scale using data from a large, population-based sample of U.S. parents. We used weighted data from 9,354 parents who completed the 2011 National Immunization Survey. Parents reported on the immunization history of a 19- to 35-month-old child in their households. Healthcare providers then verified children's vaccination status for vaccines including measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), varicella, and seasonal flu. We used separate multivariable logistic regression models to assess associations between parents' mean scores on the 8-item Vaccination Confidence Scale and vaccine refusal, vaccine delay, and vaccination status. A substantial minority of parents reported a history of vaccine refusal (15%) or delay (27%). Vaccination confidence was negatively associated with refusal of any vaccine (odds ratio [OR] = 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-0.63) as well as refusal of MMR, varicella, and flu vaccines specifically. Negative associations between vaccination confidence and measures of vaccine delay were more moderate, including delay of any vaccine (OR = 0.81, 95% CI, 0.76-0.86). Vaccination confidence was positively associated with having received vaccines, including MMR (OR = 1.53, 95% CI, 1.40-1.68), varicella (OR = 1.54, 95% CI, 1.42-1.66), and flu vaccines (OR = 1.32, 95% CI, 1.23-1.42). Vaccination confidence was consistently associated with early childhood vaccination behavior across multiple vaccine types. Our findings support expanding the application of the Vaccination Confidence Scale to measure vaccination beliefs among parents of young children.

Vaccine hesitancy has come to the forefront of the public health landscape in recent years, and many midlife and older adults in the United States (US) are not receiving recommended vaccines. We conducted an online survey in September 2024 with a national sample of adults ages 45–80 in the US (n = 1043) to examine their vaccine hesitancy. Overall, 42.4 % of participants were categorized as being hesitant toward vaccines. Vaccine hesitancy was correlated with political party affiliation, education level, and receipt of influenza and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations in the past year. Overall, 33.1 % of participants indicated their views about vaccines became more positive over the last five years, 26.2 % indicated their views became more negative, and 40.7 % indicated their views were unchanged. Our findings provide important insight into current vaccine hesitancy among midlife and older adults and can help inform future public health and communication efforts to reduce vaccine hesitancy.

•HPV vaccination is low among adolescent males, with less than 10% vaccinated.•Healthcare provider recommendation is key to increasing HPV vaccination among males.•Continued efforts are needed to monitor HPV vaccination among males. US guidelines provided a permissive recommendation for HPV vaccine for males in 2009, with an updated recommendation for routine vaccination in 2011. Data on vaccine uptake among males, however, remain sparse. We analyzed 2010–2011 data (collected mostly prior to the recommendation for routine vaccination) from the National Immunization Survey-Teen for a nationally representative sample of adolescent males ages 13–17 (n=22,365). We examined HPV vaccine initiation (receipt of at least one dose based on healthcare provider records) as the primary outcome. Analyses used weighted logistic regression. HPV vaccine initiation increased from 1.4% in 2010 to 8.3% in 2011. Parents who reported receiving a healthcare provider recommendation to get their sons HPV vaccine were much more likely to have vaccinated sons (OR=19.02, 95% CI: 14.36–25.19). Initiation was also higher among sons who were Hispanic (OR=1.83, 95% CI: 1.24–2.71) or who were eligible for the Vaccines for Children program (OR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.01–2.31). Only 31.0% of parents with unvaccinated sons indicated their sons were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to receive HPV vaccine in the next year. The most common main reasons for parents not intending to vaccinate were believing vaccination is not needed or not necessary (24.5%), not having received a provider recommendation (22.1%), and lack of knowledge (15.9%). HPV vaccination is low among adolescent males in the US, and provider recommendation for vaccination is likely key to improving vaccine uptake. Given the updated recommendation for routine vaccination and the changes in health insurance coverage that are likely to follow, continued efforts are needed to monitor HPV vaccination among males.

Sexual minority women (lesbian, bisexual, and other women who have sex with women) are at risk for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HPV-related disease, demonstrating the importance of HPV vaccination for these women. We conducted an online survey of sexual minority women ages 18–45 from the United States (n = 505) in October 2019, about two months after HPV vaccine recommendations were expanded to include ages 27–45. Multivariable Poisson regression identified correlates of HPV vaccine initiation (i.e., receipt of at least one HPV vaccine dose). Overall, 65% of participants ages 18–26 and 33% of participants ages 27–45 had initiated the HPV vaccine series. Among participants ages 18–26, initiation was more common among those who had received a healthcare provider recommendation (RR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.64–2.93) or had disclosed their sexual orientation to their primary healthcare provider (RR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.07–1.65). Among initiators ages 27–45, a large majority (89%) reported receiving their first dose before turning age 27. Initiation was more common among participants ages 27–45 who had received a healthcare provider recommendation (RR = 3.23, 95% CI: 2.31–4.53) or who reported greater perceived social support for HPV vaccination (RR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05–1.40). Several reasons for not yet getting HPV vaccine differed by age group (ages 18–26 vs. ages 27–45; all p < 0.05). Many sexual minority women, particularly those ages 27–45, remain unvaccinated against HPV. Findings provide early insight into HPV vaccine coverage among adult women and highlight key leverage points for increasing vaccination among this population.

Background To assess awareness and willingness of average-risk adults to complete a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening blood test and evaluate test preferences for future screening. Methods Following approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted in September 2024 of adults ages 45–75 in the United States ( n  = 633). An informative statement about the new test was followed by a series of questions. Logistic regression identified correlates of participants’ willingness to complete a CRC screening blood test. Results Only 18.2% of participants were aware of a CRC screening blood test. Most (77.9%) were willing to get the test if free or covered by health insurance, while only 19.2% were willing if it cost $895 out of pocket. Participants were more willing to complete a free CRC screening blood test if they had a high household income (odds ratio [OR] = 5.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.63–16.13), had a routine medical check-up in the last year (OR = 2.87, CI:1.44–5.71), and were more wanting to talk to a doctor at their next medical appointment about the new test (OR = 2.55, CI: 1.92–3.37). Participants’ preferred CRC screening approach for the future was the blood test every three years (53.0%), an annual stool test (31.1%), and a colonoscopy every 10 years (15.8%). Conclusions The blood test has the potential to increase CRC screening, as most participants were willing to complete the test if it was free or covered by health insurance. Findings can guide the development of programs that include the CRC screening blood test as an option.

Purpose Sexual minority women (SMW; lesbian, bisexual, and other women who have sex with women) are at risk for cervical cancer but less likely than non-SMW to receive regular cervical cancer screening (Pap- and/or HPV-testing). We examined factors contributing to receipt of guideline-based cervical cancer screening among SMW. Methods During October 2019, we conducted an online survey of self-identified SMW aged 21–45 years living in the United States ( n  = 435). We estimated risk differences (RD) in women’s likelihood of being within current cervical cancer screening guidelines by sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. Results Overall, 75% of respondents were within current screening guidelines. Adjusting for other factors, SMW were more likely to be within guidelines if they were insured (aRD 0.26, 95% CI 0.13, 0.39), had a partner (aRD 0.18, 95% CI 0.09, 0.28), and were older (aRD 0.12, 95% CI 0.04, 0.20). Overall, the most common reasons for not being screened recently were lack of insurance/cost (42%) and perceiving it was unnecessary (28%). Conclusion Many SMW are not being screened for cervical cancer according to guidelines. Findings can inform efforts to improve screening among this population.

•We developed a brief, three-factor scale for measuring confidence about adolescent vaccination.•The scale showed good fit both overall (CFI=0.97) and across demographic subgroups.•Using the scale to assess a national sample of parents, we found that confidence was generally high.•However, we found lower confidence among subgroups with lower education or of Hispanic ethnicity. The success of national immunization programs depends on the public's confidence in vaccines. We sought to develop a scale for measuring confidence about adolescent vaccination in diverse populations of parents. Data came from 9623 parents who completed the 2010 National Immunization Survey-Teen, an annual, population-based telephone survey. Parents reported on a 13- to 17-year-old child in their households. We used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to identify latent constructs underlying parents’ responses to 8 vaccination belief survey items (response scale 0–10) conceptualized using the Health Belief Model. We assessed the scale's psychometric properties overall and across demographic subgroups. Parents’ confidence about adolescent vaccination was generally high. Analyses provided support for three factors assessing benefits of vaccination (mean=8.5), harms of vaccination (mean=3.3), and trust in healthcare providers (mean=9.0). The model showed good fit both overall (comparative fit index=0.97) and across demographic subgroups, although internal consistency was variable for the three factors. We found lower confidence among several potentially vulnerable subpopulations, including mothers with lower levels of education and parents whose children were of Hispanic ethnicity (both p<0.05). Our brief, three-factor scale offers an efficient way to measure confidence in adolescent vaccination across demographic subgroups. Given evidence of lower confidence by educational attainment and race/ethnicity, program planners should consider factors such as health literacy and cultural competence when designing interventions to promote adolescent vaccination to ensure these programs are fully accessible.

Objectives. We examined human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among gay and bisexual men, a population with high rates of HPV infection and HPV-related disease. Methods. A national sample of gay and bisexual men aged 18 to 26 years (n = 428) completed online surveys in fall 2013. We identified correlates of HPV vaccination using multivariate logistic regression. Results. Overall, 13% of participants had received any doses of the HPV vaccine. About 83% who had received a health care provider recommendation for vaccination were vaccinated, compared with only 5% without a recommendation (P < .001). Vaccination was lower among participants who perceived greater barriers to getting vaccinated (odds ratio [OR] = 0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.27, 0.78). Vaccination was higher among participants with higher levels of worry about getting HPV-related disease (OR = 1.54; 95% CI =  1.05, 2.27) or perceived positive social norms of HPV vaccination (OR = 1.57; 95% CI =  1.02, 2.43). Conclusions. HPV vaccine coverage is low among gay and bisexual men in the United States. Future efforts should focus on increasing provider recommendation for vaccination and should target other modifiable factors.