Exploring variation in human papillomavirus vaccination uptake in Switzerland: a multilevel spatial analysis of a national vaccination coverage survey

Objective: Understanding the factors that influence human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake is critically important to the design of effective vaccination programmes. In Switzerland, HPV vaccination uptake (≥1 dose) by age 16 years among women ranges from 31% to 80% across 26 cantons (states). Our objective was to identify factors that are associated with the spatial variation in HPV vaccination uptake.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the Swiss National Vaccination Coverage Survey 2009-2016 on HPV vaccination status (≥1 dose) of 14-17-year-old girls, their municipality of residence and their nationality for 21 of 26 cantons (n=8965). We examined covariates at municipality level: language, degree of urbanisation, socioeconomic position, religious denomination, results of a vote about vaccination laws as a proxy for vaccine scepticism and, at cantonal level, availability of school-based vaccination and survey period. We used a series of conditional autoregressive models to assess the effects of covariates while accounting for variability between cantons and municipal-level spatial autocorrelation.

Results: In the best-fit model, living in cantons that have school-based vaccination (adjusted OR 2.51; 95% credible interval 1.77 to 3.56) was associated with increased uptake, while living in municipalities with lower acceptance of vaccination laws was associated with lower HPV vaccination uptake (OR 0.61; 95% credible interval 0.50 to 0.73). Overall, the covariates explained 88% of the municipal-level variation in uptake.

Conclusions: In Switzerland, both cantons and community opinion about vaccination play a prominent role in the variation in HPV vaccination uptake. To increase uptake, efforts should be made to mitigate vaccination scepticism and to encourage school-based vaccination.