According to research conducted in the United States, the low vaccination rate for HPV can be attributed to doctors' supposed lacklustre attitude towards recommending it to patients.
The vaccine, which protects against the human papillomavirus, has been aimed at teens and pre-teens as its efficiency is increased if an individual receives it before becoming sexually active, but it appears doctors are reluctant to recommend it for a number of reasons, including fear of having a parent object.
The research into the vaccination against the HPV virus - a virus which can cause several types of cancer - was conducted with almost 600 medical professionals and indicates a lack of understanding when it comes to the reasons for vaccinating pre-teens.
With many doctors reluctant to administer the vaccine on account of the fact their patient is not yet sexually active, researchers, led by the University of Colorado's Dr. Allison Kempe, suggest medical professionals need further education on the matter,
As it stands, the HPV vaccine has been available to girls in the States since 2006 and boys since 2011, but a recent survey indicated that just 60% of girls and 42% of boys have gotten one dose despite the fact three does are recommended.
The findings of the survey have been published in Pediatrics this week.
