Pediatricians are more supportive of the XXXX vaccine than the general public.

@entity5 @entity1 @entity166 @entity1082
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine pediatricians' attitudes about the @entity1082 ) vaccine and to compare their attitudes with those expressed by the general public. METHODS: Eight-hundred and fifty pediatricians from the American Academy of Pediatrics were surveyed, including general pediatricians (n = 450), and members of the sections of adolescent medicine (n = 200) and @entity166 (n = 200). Pediatricians were asked to answer four items that had been included on a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) poll of the general public shortly after the HPV vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. RESULTS: Of 752 eligible pediatricians, 373 (50%) responded. Compared to the general public, pediatricians were less likely to agree that routine Papanicolaou smears are a better strategy for preventing @entity5 than HPV vaccination (12% vs 45%, P < 0.001), that abstinence programs are a better strategy for preventing the spread of HPV (17% vs 44%, P < 0.001), and that HPV vaccination may encourage sexual activity (4% vs 27%, P < 0.001). Pediatricians were more likely to support HPV vaccination without parental permission (77% vs 47%, P < 0.001). There were no differences between pediatricians based on gender. General pediatricians were more likely than pediatricians affiliated with the sections of @entity166 and adolescent medicine to endorse abstinence programs over HPV vaccination (22% vs 16% and 8%, respectively, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Pediatricians are much more supportive of HPV vaccination than the general public. Pediatricians should be aware of these differences when counseling @entity1 and their families.
