Tao Guiping, a primary healthcare worker in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, has spoken with plenty of parents who remain hesitant about HPV vaccination for their children.
Some worry about how long the human papillomavirus vaccine's protection lasts, while others are unsure of the optimal age for receiving it. Recently, however, she has noticed a marked increase in family interest in the cancer-preventing vaccine.
"In the past, many parents seemed unwilling to listen, but now a growing number come in having clearly done some research beforehand and proactively seek our advice," said Tao, a senior nurse in the department of preventive medicine at the community health service center of Kecheng district's Baiyun street.
Last November, China announced that it would provide free two-dose bivalent HPV vaccinations nationwide for girls born on or after Nov 10, 2011, who have reached age 13, as part of the national immunization program.
HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer — one of the most common cancers in women. China recorded about 151,000 new cases and 56,000 related deaths in 2022, according to the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration.
The policy shift has triggered a series of measures to support the vaccine rollout, including enhanced health messaging, improved school-hospital coordination and streamlined vaccination services.
Tao said the institution has partnered with local schools to raise awareness about the vaccine during parents' meetings and to survey immunization coverage.
Tao added that to accommodate students' schedules, immunization services are now offered during lunch breaks, in the evenings and on weekends, in addition to regular working hours.
Eligible girls can book vaccination appointments at the medical institution or at mobile vaccination sites on campuses, she said.
Zhejiang province's digital and intelligent immunization management system has also advanced the rollout of HPV vaccines, according to local authorities.
The province has launched a vaccine identification code that integrates seven types of core information — including vaccine recipient, healthcare provider and cold-chain equipment, said Yao Qiang, director of the provincial disease control and prevention administration.
"This not only ensures full traceability of essential vaccine-related information, but also enhances information transparency and bolsters public confidence in vaccines.
"To date, over 46.92 million such vaccine IDs have been generated across the province," he said.
The province has also launched mobile applications that enable health authorities to monitor vaccination coverage in real time and allow the public to make appointments, receive notifications and access other services online, Yao added.
Huang Zhuoying, deputy director of the immunization planning department at the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said the city has established three smart vaccination systems targeting the public, healthcare institutions and disease control agencies. She said about 80 percent of vaccination services across the city have been facilitated through such intelligent systems.
These include an automated outbound calling function that notifies families of age-eligible girls who have missed HPV vaccinations and provides information on useful information such as the nearest vaccination facility and available vaccine types.
Data shows that from July 15 to 29, a total of 856 calls out of 1,619 were answered.
Niu Deng, a disease control official from Shanghai's Xuhui district, said public health messaging will remain a priority going forward.
"We have found through questionnaire surveys that core concerns among parents include whether 13 is the optimal age for their daughters to get the shot, and whether it is necessary to opt for the self-paid nine-valent vaccine over the free bivalent shot," he said.
Niu said that it is important to address these concerns through one-on-one sessions, along with continued communication and health education.
