Authors
Sarah E Gollust, Susan M LoRusso, Rebekah H Nagler, Erika Franklin Fowler
Publication date
2016/6/2
Journal
Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics
Volume
12
Issue
6
Pages
1430-1434
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Description
Vaccination rates for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine fall below targets and only 2 states and the District of Columbia require the vaccine for middle school-age children. Messages conveyed through news media—to parents, providers, policymakers, and the general public—may contribute to sluggish vaccination rates and policy action. In this commentary, we review the findings from 13 published studies of news media coverage of the HPV vaccine in the United States since FDA licensure in 2006. We find 2 important themes in news coverage: a rising focus on political controversy and a consistent emphasis on the vaccine as for girls, even beyond the point when the vaccine was recommended for boys. These political and gendered messages have consequences for public understanding of the vaccine. Future research should continue to monitor news media depictions of the HPV vaccine to assess …
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