Just over half of U.S. teens were up to date on HPV vaccination in 2018, a small improvement over the year before.
HPV vaccination, which protects against several types of cancer, continues to lag far behind other vaccines recommended for adolescents, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC analyzed data on 18,700 adolescents ages 13-17 from the 2018 National Immunization Survey — Teen and found 51.1% were fully vaccinated against HPV compared to 48.6% in 2017. The percent of those receiving at least one dose improved from 65.5% to 68.1%, according to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Girls continue to be vaccinated at a higher rate than boys, but boys made a bigger improvement in 2018. About 53.7% of girls were up to date on HPV vaccine last year, up from 53.1% the year before. Among boys, 48.7% were fully vaccinated compared to 44.3% in 2017.
The AAP recommends starting the HPV vaccine series between ages 9-12 years. The CDC found teens are more likely to get at least one dose of HPV vaccine if a health care provider recommends it.
“Equipping providers with the tools they need to give strong recommendations that emphasize the importance of HPV vaccination in preventing cancer and effectively address parental concerns is a priority,” authors wrote.
The HPV vaccine could prevent about 32,100 cases of cancer each year, according to another new CDC report.
The 2018 coverage rates for other vaccinations teens received either in adolescence or earlier in childhood were:
- 94.9% for at least one dose of varicella among those with no history of the disease,
- 92.1% for three doses of hepatitis B,
- 91.9% for two doses of measles, mumps and rubella,
- 89.6% for two doses of varicella among those with no history of the disease,
- 88.9% for tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis,
- 86.6% for at least one dose of meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY),
- 50.8% for two doses of MenACWY and
- 17.2% for meningococcal B, which is given based on individual decisions between families and clinicians.