UIW Uses Vaccination Drives to Help Prevent Cancer
To address HPV under-vaccination and other vaccination inequities, the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM) has been spearheading school-based vaccination clinics on San Antonio’s South and West sides for the past two years. The success of this pilot program, especially in comparison to traditional public health and private approaches, has been remarkable.
In 2018, UIWSOM students and faculty administered 591 vaccines to 284 youth at four vaccination events at Southside and Southwest independent school districts. Of the vaccinations administered, 165 were HPV. Parental refusal rate was an astoundingly low 3 percent, compared to the 87 percent cited in traditional public and private clinical settings.
