Table 3.

Effective components of existing HPV vaccine campaign messages and strategies to develop effective HPV vaccine messages

Theme		Quotes
Message content
HPV vaccine information should address concerns about side effects and sexual health		• HPV ads should have messages concerning the principal benefits of the vaccine and the person should be aware of the side effects, also • So, when you say information, could you be more specific, like what type of information that you want, before you make the decision?     ○ The risk, you know, they give it to you after the fact     ○ The side effects, all that
HPV vaccine information should emphasize cancer prevention and protection		• It’s an eye grabber, everybody wants to protect their self from cancer, any type of cancer • … It provokes a discussion, for one, with the provider, and then it specifically says it can reduce your son or daughter’s risk of certain HPV related cancers
HPV vaccine information should provide information on the eligibility and efficacy of the vaccine		• I didn’t understand it. Who is this for? Is this for me? Something like that. Even with the parents. Some of us may look at it and be like what is that? • …, when you say about HPV, when you say somebody’s going to see part and you just say cancer. You’re not thinking about the HPV strains of the cancer, we’re thinking about cancer in big terms, or would it take care of all of the cancers, so oh, yeah. But it doesn’t
Visual representations
The inclusion of HCPs		• I like this one, because where there’s a mom and a kid, a little girl, with the doctor, because it specifically targets the HPV vaccine of how … It provokes a discussion, for one, with the provider
Concerns about the complex power and race dynamics (e.g., white HCP and Black patients)		• This one with the white doctor and the black patients, it says to me, come in and save us. I don’t know, maybe, and then … I guess my tainted thing just miss being tainted, because if it was a black doctor, and I’m saying, okay. We got to sell out. This you can’t win. You just do the best you can • Like the commercials and everything and stuff right. It’s more of Caucasians and I’m being honest. And so really honest I have not heard of a black child catching this okay?
Other information
Use of straightforward language that is easy to understand		• It says would you do anything to protect your child? That’s effective. Today, you could save your child’s life • Yeah, got to be more specific when they say that cancer • The language easy to understand: “if there were vaccines against cancer wouldn’t you give your kids?”
Availability of link/information for other resources		• Right, and it also gives information how you can get to it. Like if you don’t get to your doctor, it also tells you, you can call 311 or you know. So at least to a resource, that’s why I like it • Go to your doctor today and find out more, call 311, or go to a website or something, and that’s it
Themes related to strategies for developing effective HPV vaccine messages
The importance of including diverse audience members in the message
Different roles (e.g., teens, parents, and HCPs)	• The vaccine is for the teenagers, so that's who they got in the picture • Yeah, it should be distinguished between the adults and the kids. I mean no kids would look at no adult stuff. Especially from 11 to what, 19? • You said you want a parent on it, right? A parent on the picture And a picture of the doctor. Because then it make the people say, oh I got to talk to the doctor about that. Because sometimes the doctor really don’t ask you that
Diverse racial and gender groups	• Have a diverse poster so nobody feels like they’re picked on or they’re being targeted • Put the boy and girl, because it’s for both, so they’ll know it’s for both • A group of pictures of all races and genders, instead of having just the individual girl
What participants want in campaign messages
Highlight benefits and limitations	• HPV prevention and the campaign, to just spread the campaign a little bit more. And then the stats of the vaccinated people versus people that weren’t vaccinated. So then, just always pushing to use protection • HPV ads should have messages concerning the principal benefits of the vaccine and the person should be aware of the side effects, also • Clearing up some of the misconceptions, or whatever, or owning up to the possibilities that the misconceptions could be true, and you have to make an educated decision for your child
Focus on cancer prevention and protection of vaccination	• I think people will be more willing to have their children vaccinated against it if they know well, if you get them vaccinated, they have a better chance of preventing. And I think one other … Yeah. This one says it. It can reduce certain HPV related cancers… • … need to be a little bit bigger. They need to tell us why
Show links to other resources	○ Yeah, where people can go get information on it. Children, they’re scared to tell their parents. Maybe they have been doing something that they can go get more information, can I still go get that vaccine? Can I still, you know…     ○ Do I need my parents’ permission to get that vaccine?     ○ Right, yeah. Give them something kid-friendly-     ○ Where they can go-     ○ That’s a good idea • I tell you that’s what I needed to see a HPV 1–800 number • A lot of people such as myself are not computer savvy. I need something more than go online to CDC.gov. No, I need a 1–800 number or I need directions as to where to go
Other elements	• And colorful. And you want … You said you want a parent on it, right? A parent on the picture. Put the boy and girl, because it’s for both, so they’ll know it’s for both, unisex, whatever you want to say • And a picture of the doctor. Because then it make the people say, oh I got to talk to the doctor about that. Because sometimes the doctor really don’t ask you that • Yeah you got your local celebrities that need to participate in something like this because they are the ones who got them youngsters attention
Message delivery/ presentation platform
Physical location	• You know what I like, on the outside of bus, real big on the side, that would be helpful, first of all • A lot of people go in social services every day. It’d be nice to see a flyer up • I think having it in the doctor’s office could help. I know they have lots of it in the kids’ doctors office, but just across the board, since you said it’s 40 years old
Word of mouth	• I know you’re saying the ads and everything, but some people still keep on going. You might say, it’s like a flier when you had it in express, people look at it every day. What about word of mouth, how can we do it? • Kids listen to I don’t know, just word of mouth for everybody
Public service announcements	• I know a lot of us listen to the radio or something like that • That’s what I was going to say, public service announcement. Because those are free on the radio