60.4 percent received one or more doses in 2016, but many not completing series
FRIDAY, Aug. 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Six out of 10 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 received one or more doses of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in 2016, but many are still not completing the vaccination series, according to research published in the Aug. 25 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
In its new report, the CDC said 60.4 percent of teens aged 13 to 17 received one or more doses of HPV vaccine in 2016 — an increase of 4.3 percentage points from 2015. And the report found that HPV vaccination is becoming more common among boys. An estimated 65.1 percent of girls received their first dose of HPV vaccine in 2016, compared to 56.0 percent of boys. That represents a 6.2 percentage point increase for boys from 2015. Rates for girls were about the same as 2015, the CDC said.
But agency officials said they’re concerned because, while most teens have received the first dose of HPV vaccine, only 43.4 percent are up to date on all recommended doses. Vaccination rates tend to be lower in rural and less urban areas compared to more urban areas, the CDC said.
The CDC recommends two doses of HPV vaccine for children at ages 11 or 12. Teens who get the first vaccine dose before their 15th birthday need two doses to be protected. Teens and young adults who start the vaccine series between ages 15 through 26 need three doses, according to the agency.
Copyright © 2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
