Introduction:

Uruguay offers a free HPV quadrivalent vaccine to adolescents 12 years of age or older. However, the vaccination rate was not as expected.

Objective:

to describe the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination status, the reasons for non-vaccination and to report adverse effects in hospitalized adolescents in a reference center in Uruguay.

Materials and methods:

descriptive study by means of an anonymous survey of adolescents of 12 years of age or older hospitalized in moderate care at Pereira Rossell Hospital Center during the second half of 2016. Adolescents who refused to participate were excluded from the study, as well as those with mental retardation and / or subject to palliative care. We analyzed: age, vaccination status against HPV, reasons for non-vaccination and vaccine hesitancy, and adverse effects. The research conducted was approved by the institution’s ethics committee.

Results:

the survey was answered by 112 adolescents who met the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 13.5 years old (12-14.6). 45/112 (40.1%). Adolescents reported having received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. The most frequent reason for non-vaccination was: lack of knowledge of the vaccine in 48 out of 67 (71.6%), followed by rejection or rejection by the adolescent or responsible adult in 13 out of 67 (19.4%). The main reason for refusal to receive the vaccine reported was: lack of information (7/13). No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions:

vaccination coverage found was similar to national data. Knowledge and information of adolescents and their caregivers about this vaccine were the main reasons detected for non-vaccination.

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