Abstract 1033: Racial and ethnic disparities in human papillomavirus vaccination among US-born and foreign-born adults aged 18 to 26 years in the United States

Abstract Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is linked to multiple cancers that can be prevented through vaccination. Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines for HPV, vaccination rates in the US remain suboptimal. While the optimal age for vaccination is in childhood and adolescence, Vaccination recommendations include adults through age 26 who missed being vaccinated as children and adolescents. There are limited data about disparities among adults eligible for catch-up HPV vaccination. We conducted a comprehensive examination of HPV vaccination among US young adults disaggregating the group by race/ethnicity and nativity status to identify subgroups that may require additional interventions. Methods: We analyzed 2019 and 2022 data of individuals aged 18-26 years from the National Health Interview Survey. Unadjusted and adjusted generalized linear models using Poisson regression with log link were used to examine the associations between receipt of at least 1 dose of HPV vaccine and race/ethnicity and nativity (i.e., US- versus foreign-born). Results: The overall receipt of at least 1 dose of HPV vaccine was 47.5%. The vaccination rate among US-born was 49.7% versus 31.9% among foreign-born individuals, with an adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) of 0.72; (95% CI, 0.62-0.82). Females had a higher vaccination rate (57%) than males (37.8%), Foreign-born black individuals (APR 0.31; 95% CI, 0.13-0.70) were less likely to be vaccinated against HPV than foreign-born white individuals, while US-born Asians (APR), 1.27; 95% CI, 1.09-1.48) had a higher prevalence of the vaccination than the US-born White group. Foreign-born Asian (APR 0.60; 95% CI, 0.46-0.77), Black (APR 0.27; 95% CI, 0.12-0.61), and Hispanic (APR 0.76; 95% CI, 0.60-0.97) populations were less likely to be vaccinated against HPV than their respective US-born counterparts. Conclusions: There are profound HPV vaccination inequalities among US young adults, with particularly low vaccine coverage among racially and ethnically minoritized immigrant populations. Impact: The study findings could be integrated into designing effective targeted catch-up HPV vaccination interventions with race/ethnicity- and nativity-specific considerations to reduce HPV vaccination disparities. Citation Format: Itunu Sokale, Jane Montealegre, Ann Amuta-Jimenez, Abiodun Oluyomi, Aaron Thrift. Racial and ethnic disparities in human papillomavirus vaccination among US-born and foreign-born adults aged 18 to 26 years in the United States [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 1033.