King County HPV Vaccine Promotion Project
Educate, Vaccinate, Eliminate.
Did you know there is a vaccine that can prevent cancer?
More than 36,000 people in the U.S. get HPV-related cancers every year. We can prevent these cancers with the HPV vaccine.
The HPV vaccine is cancer prevention.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. HPV infections can cause genital warts. HPV infections can also lead to cancer, including cancer of the mouth and throat, cervix, penis, and other body parts. The HPV vaccine is the best way to protect against these life-threatening cancers.
Our campaign
Since 2015, our youth leaders have collaborated with school-based health centers and Public Health birth control and sexual health clinics. The goal: link students with the information they need to make informed choices about their health. Youth leaders also organize activities to increase HPV vaccine awareness among their peers, such as training peer educators and hosting lunchtime tabling events. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the HPV Campaign included over 70 student volunteers in 21 high schools across King County.
The HPV Vaccine Campaign is currently seeking funding to support our work and expand our campaigns.
HPV vaccine campaigns (past and present) at local schools
Seattle public high schools:
- Ballard
- Center
- Chief Sealth
- Cleveland
- Franklin
- Garfield
- Ingraham
- Lincoln
- Nathan Hale
- Rainer Beach
- Roosevelt
- West Seattle
King County high schools:
- Auburn
- Decatur (Federal Way)
- Evergreen (Burien)
- Lindbergh (Renton)
- Mountainview (Auburn)
- Renton
- Tyee (SeaTac)
Project publications
- Improving adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization uptake in school-based health centers through awareness campaigns - PMC (nih.gov)
- Evaluation Brief: Improving adolescent HPV immunization coverage through school-based health centers
Other local HPV vaccination efforts
Public Health – Seattle & King County is a proud partner of the Path to a Bright Future HPV Vaccination Campaign. This campaign encourages on-time HPV vaccination for all 9–12-year-olds.
The Immunizations Learning Collaborative works to increase childhood and adolescent vaccination rates, including for HPV, in healthcare clinic settings using quality improvement strategies.
The Washington Child Health Improvement Partnership leads the learning collaborative in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County, the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Washington State Department of Health, and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Learn more!
We are working to protect the lives of young people, and you can help make a difference!
If you are interested in learning more about the HPV Vaccine Promotion Project and future directions or if you’d like to start a cancer prevention campaign in your school, please contact us at vaccineinfo@kingcounty.gov or use our online inquiry form.
Follow on Instagram
Follow the Teen Health Centers on Instagram to learn more about their activities:
Cleveland: chs_teenhealth
Ballard: bhs.health.awareness
Garfield: ghs.thc
The Center School: tcsteenhealthcenter
Ingraham: ingrahamhealth
Evergreen: ehs_healthpointteenclinic
Watch a video about this project by hearing from our 2017-2018 Vaccine Champions!
Local high school students boost cancer-preventing vaccinations for HPV
Public Health Insider blog, posted Nov. 12, 2019
This toolkit provides students and health center staff some tools to develop and sustain an HPV Campaign in their schools. By starting this campaign, you can help increase HPV vaccination rates and prevent HPV-related cancers and disease.
Link/share our site at www.kingcounty.gov/hpv