Co-designing HPV vaccination professional development for teachers and school staff: A Collaborative Approach with Key Stakeholders in Health and Education

Australia is on the path to eliminating cervical cancer. However, many young people who are eligible for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer, still have limited or no knowledge and understanding about the HPV virus and vaccine.

As a Fulbright Scholar in the Speciality of Child and Adolescent Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, Natalie McGowan set out to understand Australia’s school-based HPV vaccination program, in line with the Fulbright program’s goal of promoting bilaterial exchange between the US and Australia. She focused on a project to co-design professional development about HPV and HPV vaccination with teachers and immunisation nurses for teachers. Her project aims to enhance teacher’s HPV and HPV vaccination literacy and to better understand their professional development needs.

In Australia, departments of Health work in partnership with schools to offer vaccines recommended and funded for adolescents by the National Immunisation Program in a school-based vaccination program. In NSW, a member of the public health unit or community health centre vaccination team contacts schools to work together to implement the program. Currently, teachers do not receive formal professional development to support their role in the program. To optimise the partnership between Health and Education, it is crucial to understand the enablers and barriers for teachers in educating HPV vaccine-eligible students about the vaccine at school and in supporting the implementation of the program.

Natalie collaborated with Dr Cristyn Davies, a Senior Research Fellow in the Specialty of Child and Adolescent Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, and member of the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, and Associate Professor Kellie Burns in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney and some of their colleagues across health and education. Using a qualitative co-design methodology, they are working with teachers, immunisation nurses, and team coordinators to co-design professional development about HPV and HPV vaccination for teachers.

“Teachers play a crucial role in the success of school-based vaccination programs,” said Dr Cristyn Davies. “By giving them the tools and support they need, we can ensure that students receive accurate, age-appropriate information about HPV and its prevention. What makes this work so powerful is the co-design approach—we’re not just creating professional development for educators and nurses, but with them. Their insights are essential to making sure the information is practical, meaningful, and sustainable in schools.”

By enhancing teachers’ knowledge and confidence about HPV and HPV vaccination, the project seeks to improve their vaccine literacy, which may in turn strengthen student HPV vaccine literacy and contribute to the overall success of the school-based immunisation program.

This work was funded by a grant from the Norman Haire Fund for Sexology Studies held by Associate Professor Kellie Burns and Dr Cristyn Davies. Natalie McGowan’s work is funded by the Fulbright Fellowship (2024-2025).