Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (Dec 2024)

Parental willingness to pay and preference for human papillomavirus vaccine for girls aged 9-14 in subsidy scenarios in Shanghai, China

  • Weiyu Zhou,
  • Xinyue Lu,
  • Jia Lu,
  • Qian Zhang,
  • Xiaoya Fu,
  • Xiaodong Sun,
  • Xiang Guo,
  • Yihan Lu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2024.2372883
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 1

Abstract

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Multiple studies have documented low human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake among Chinese girls. It remains crucial to determine the parental willingness to pay (WTP) HPV vaccine for girls. We conducted a cross-sectional study recruiting 3904 parents with girls aged 9–14 in Shanghai, China, employing an online questionnaire with a convenience sampling strategy. Parental WTP, both range of payment and estimated point value, were determined for themselves (or wives) and daughters. HPV vaccine uptake was 22.44% in mothers and 3.21% in daughters. Respondents favored WTP ≤ 1000 CNY/138 USD for themselves (or wives), whereas showed increasing WTP along with valency of HPV vaccine for daughters (2-valent: 68.62% ≤1000 CNY/138 USD; 4-valent: 56.27% 1001–2000 CNY/138–277 USD; 9-valent: 65.37% ≥2001 CNY/277 USD). Overall, respondents showed higher WTP for daughters (median 2000 CNY/277 USD; IQR 1000–3600 CNY/138–498 USD) than for themselves (2000 CNY/277 USD; 1000–3500 CNY/138–483 USD) or wives (2000 CNY/277 USD; 800–3000 CNY/110–414 USD) (each p < .05). Furthermore, parental WTP was higher for international vaccine and 9-valent vaccine (each p < 0.05). Between two assumed government subsidy scenarios, parental preference for 9-valent vaccine remained consistently high for daughters (approximately 24% in each scenario), whereas preference for themselves (or wives) was sensitive to payment change between the subsidy scenarios. Using a discrete choice experiment, we found domestic vaccine was commonly preferred; however, certain sociodemographic groups preferred multivalent HPV vaccines. In conclusion, the valency of HPV vaccine may influence parental decision-making for daughters, in addition to vaccine price. Our findings would facilitate tailoring the HPV immunization program in China.

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