Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination in Northern Bauchi: Evaluating Uptake, Completion and Dropout Rates.

Background: Cervical cancer is a preventable and curable disease, through universal and equitable access to Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination, efficiently coordinated cervical cancer screening, timely diagnosis, quality treatment and palliative care in line with 90-70-90 global targets by 2030. Primary prevention is achieved by HPV immunization of girls aged 9–14 years. Objectives: To evaluate HPV vaccine uptake, completion and drop-out rates among adolescent girls in Bauchi North. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in May to July 2025. Multistage sampling technique was used to select two LGAs from Bauchi North and 23 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) providing HPV vaccination through simple random sampling by balloting. Data was extracted from immunization records of PHCs using a checklist. The study included a target population of 36,061 girls aged 9-14 years. The study analyzed the uptake and dropout rates and associated factors using SPSS version 24. Results: The HPV vaccine (cervarix) uptake was 3.2% with 1,163 out of 36,061 girls receiving the first dose. The completion rate for the two-doses was 46.7%, with 542 out of 1,163 girls receiving second dose while the drop-out rate was 53.3%, with 621 girls not receiving the second dose. Factors significantly associated with vaccine drop-out included lack of awareness (63.5%), fear of infertility (56%), age aggregations (9-14years) (43%), and political misconception (41%). Conclusion: Low HPV vaccine uptake and high drop-out rates require targeted interventions, including awareness campaigns and community engagement to improve vaccine uptake and completion.