Human papillomavirus vaccine knowledge and beliefs among school health staff and principals in Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

Background: South Africa has implemented school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for female-bodied learners at public schools since 2014. However, vaccine uptake has declined in recent years.
Aim: To describe the knowledge and beliefs about HPV and HPV vaccination held by school health representatives (SHRs) and principals at schools hosting HPV vaccine campaigns Mitchells Plain, South Africa.
Setting: Schools in Mitchells Plain, South Africa, that have hosted at least one HPV vaccination campaign since 2021.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire administered to SHRs and principals from 48 schools selected through convenience sampling.
Results: Of 55 responses (52.1% of eligible schools), 76.4% of participants were teachers, 16.7% principals and 9.1% administrators. Majority (85.5%) would recommend HPV vaccination to students. However, knowledge scores were low with a median score of 7 (interquartile range [IQR] = 4) out of 19. Administrative staff scored the highest. Although participants had participated in an average of 3.55 vaccination campaigns, only 20% reported receiving HPV-related training. The majority (91.9%) felt ill-equipped to counsel others about HPV vaccination. No relationship was found between the number of vaccine campaigns participated in and knowledge scores.
Conclusion: Although supportive of HPV vaccine campaigns, SHRs and principal staff lack knowledge on HPV and HPV vaccination programmes.
Contribution: This research identifies critical knowledge gaps and emphasises the need for targeted educational approaches to enhance public health education regarding HPV and HPV vaccination.