Taskforce Mission
The newly reactivated HPV Taskforce began meeting again on October 12, 2022. The previous taskforce (called an HPV Roundtable) met quarterly but faded away during COVID. As part of the original taskforce, an HPV Oral Health Toolkit was created and distributed to dental offices in Vermont. Efforts also focused on provider education and coordination among related education projects. The current taskforce has completed two HPV call-to-action letters encouraging providers to recommend HPV vaccinations starting at age 9. There is one letter focused on health care providers and one for dental health care providers. You can learn more here.
Why an HPV Taskforce?
Meeting Information
HPV is a very common virus that almost everyone will have at some point in their lives. HPV infection can cause several types of cancer, including cancers of the head/neck and cervix. HPV can cause cancer in both men and women. Among Vermonters, the most common cancer caused by HPV is head and neck cancer. Head and neck cancer is the most common in Vermont men (VCR, 2001-2015).
The HPV vaccine prevents cancer. Both boys and girls should get the vaccine. The vaccine is safe and effective. For more information on HPV, the vaccine and HPV-related cancers, visit https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/index.html.
This group meets the third Wednesday from 11 AM – noon of every other even month.
If you’d like to learn more or attend these meetings, please email Hanna Snyder at coordinator@vtaac.org.
HPV Taskforce Chair
Leigh Sampson
Associate Director, State Partnerships, American Cancer Society
VTAAC gives partners the opportunity to share information and collaborate on statewide projects. I’ve made new partners, launched interesting projects, and learned new things from my involvement in VTAAC with the shared goal of reducing the cancer burden in Vermont.