Thoughts and Consideration Regarding Immigrant Clinicians: Is Cultural Preservation Influencing Providers’ Practice in HPV Vaccination?

Immigrant clinicians are vital to population healthcare delivery and therefore population health. One in four physicians in the United States are foreign-born and notably represented in family and pediatric medicine–specialties charged with administering childhood/adolescent vaccines, such as Human Papillomavirus vaccine (HPVV). Our examination suggests there may be unique cultural and socialization factors that influence clinician HPVV recommendation practice; however, immigrant clinicians have not been adequately engaged within the national HPVV agenda. Given the volume and significance of immigrant clinicians, engagement of these clinicians, in both community and nation-wide efforts to increase HPVV, is a necessary step for improving and achieving the national health goal of optimizing HPVV for cancer prevention.