NYS HPV Coalition Applauds Elmwood Pediatrics as a 2023 HPV Vaccination Honor Roll Awardee for Leadership in Cancer Prevention
The New York State HPV Coalition applauds Elmwood Pediatrics for their efforts to reduce cancer risk and other HPV related diseases through increased vaccinations of adolescents. 
The New York State HPV Coalition, the NYS Department of Health and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene united to develop an awards campaign in 2021 to recognize health systems across the region who have excelled in increasing HPV vaccination rates in youth. These awards, first of their kind, are based upon immunization registries of individuals 18 years of age and younger.
The Honor Roll Award was presented to Elmwood Pediatrics for achieving HPV vaccination rates of 80% or more among their 13-year-old patients. A complete list of winners is available at our site.
“We know the key to increased HPV vaccinations rests strongly on pediatric and family care practices,” says Michael Seserman, Co-Chair of the NYS HPV Coalition. “Elmwood Pediatrics deserves to be recognized for their work as leaders in cancer prevention,” he added.
“To prevent more cancer and save more lives I applaud all health systems and family practices who are coming together to help improve vaccination rates and educating parents and caregivers about the importance of the HPV vaccination”.
About 14 million people, including teens, become infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) each year. An estimated 85 percent of people will get HPV during their lives. While most HPV infections go away on their own without lasting health problems, there is no way to know if an infection will lead to cancer. HPV infection is known to cause six different types of cancer: cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile, and throat cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, this 2-shot vaccine series is most effective when administered to children starting at age nine and has the potential to help prevent more than 34,000 cases of HPV-caused cancers in men and women each year.
About the HPV Vaccine
The HPV vaccine, which is recommended for children between 9 and 12 years of age, is highly effective at preventing HPV cancers and genital warts. The vaccine is safe with more than 300 million doses given worldwide since it was first approved for use in 2006. Unfortunately, nearly 60% of 13-year-old youth are not vaccinated against HPV in New York State. Some of the reasons are due to misinformation, the lack of a strong provider recommendation, and the HPV vaccine not being required for school entry like other adolescent immunizations. For more information go to the CDC.
About the NYS HPV Coalition
The NYS HPV Coalition was founded by the American Cancer Society in 2017 to increase HPV vaccination rates and decrease HPV-related disease in New York State through education, coordination, advocacy, and leadership. The Coalition is led by 17 major public health and medical organizations in the state and is one of several action teams connected to the New York State Cancer Consortium. The NYS HPV Coalition website can be accessed at www.nyshpv.org
