Disconnects between news framing and parental discourse concerning the state-mandated HPV vaccine: Implications for dialogic health communication and health literacy

In 2007, Virginia became the first state in the US to mandate the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. In 2009, the mandate required that parents of girls entering sixth grade (ages 11-12) vaccinate their daughters or sign the 'opt-out' waiver. This investigation is the first to explore how both the news media and parents framed and responded to the newly-mandated HPV vaccine. This research reveals disjoints between news media framing and parental framing. Implications of these gaps for parental healthcare decision-making are addressed and suggestions are offered for constructing a more dialogic, community-based approach that can increase health literacy regarding the HPV vaccine.