Dugan Boosts HPV Vaccine Support in Waterbury Roundabout Commentary
In a commentary published in Waterbury Roundabout, Larner social scientist Matt Dugan, M.A., collates testimonials in support of a local, school-based HPV vaccination clinic. The HPV vaccine prevents six types of cancer, he notes—which means that with every shot delivered, these people have helped ensure a safer, healthier future for our community’s kids.
“In an era where even everyday issues can become political, our vaccination storytelling project is an effort to steer clear of the numbers, facts, and statistics that often do bloody battle with belief systems,” Dugan says. “Our approach is a very old one that’s suddenly new—to have people simply tell their stories from the heart.”
Dugan is a public health communication specialist with the Northern New England Clinical Translational Research Network (NNE-CTR) at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. NNE-CTR is charged with improving the health of northern New Englanders, he says. “This HPV vaccine project is one of many we’re involved with that have ranged from cancer research to local food, gun safety to indoor air pollution, lung cancer screening to much more.”
NNE-CTR works to train and fund researchers and physicians who seek to improve health outcomes, particularly in rural areas. Dugan is one of those researchers. He conducts primary and secondary research, works with community partners to set up campaigns, then performs post-testing, to encourage healthier behaviors.