HPV Vaccination Rates are (Finally) Rising

Vaccination rates against the HPV virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer have been rising (finally), according to a recent CDC report.   Currently, more than 60 percent of teens have received at least one of the two recommended doses of the vaccine; that compares favorably to the 30% who had received the vaccine just ten years ago.

In 2016, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) updated its vaccinations recommendations to include a two-dose schedule instead of the previous three, making it easier for teens to be fully vaccinated.  Nearly 50% of all 17-year-old girls and 38% of all boys are now fully vaccinated, according to the new two-dose schedule.

Health officials are encouraged, but there is still room for improvement in vaccination rates. More than 40% of Americans aged 18-59 are infected with genital HPV.  There are nearly 40,000 new cases of cancers each year in areas of the body where the HPV virus is found (cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus, rectum, and oropharynx), according to the CDC.  Nearly 80% of these cancers could be prevented by vaccination.