HPV Vaccination Rates Remain Below Recommended Target, Reducing Cancer Prevention Opportunities

According to a report from the President’s Cancer Panel, the HPV vaccine continues to be underused in eligible adolescents, thus reducing the ability to protect against HPV-related cancers such as cervical and oropharyngeal cancer, among others. 

“We have a safe, effective vaccine that protects against a cancer-causing virus, and we applaud the efforts of cancer and immunization leaders joining forces and rising to the challenge of accelerating HPV vaccine uptake,” said Barbara Rimer, DrPH, chair of the President’s Cancer Panel, in a statement. 

President's Cancer Panel updates its report on #HPV vaccination: "Although vaccine uptake has improved in recent years, the fact remains that less than 50% of boys and girls in the United States are fully vaccinated against HPV" https://t.co/f2qjoDqDVI pic.twitter.com/zs1s4oxcBD

— NCI Prevention & Early Detection (@NCIprevention) November 7, 2018

In a 2012-2013 report, the panel called for more widespread uptake of the HPV vaccine among eligible recipients. The percentage of adolescents who have begun receiving the HPV vaccine has increased by 5 percentage points each year since that recommendation. However, as of 2017, fewer than half of eligible U.S. adolescents were fully vaccinated.

https://twitter.com/NCIBennett/status/1057968777457995778

The Healthy People 2020 initiative has a goal to vaccinate 80% of adolescents 13 to 15 years old by 2020, and the current stats indicate that this goal is not on track to succeed. 

https://twitter.com/CarrascalAlvaro/status/1005431500102348800

The President’s Cancer Panel issued a renewed call to action to increase HPV vaccination rates nationally and internationally, given the findings. The panel recommended that providers work to reduce the number of missed opportunities to recommend and administer the vaccine to eligible adolescents. Instead of discussing the vaccination in an open-ended way, providers should assume that parents are ready to have their child vaccinated and strongly recommend it for both boys and girls in unequivocal language.  

Read the full report. 

CDC says oropharyngeal cancer is the most common HPV-related cancer. 

HPV test identifies cervical precancer earlier than Pap. 

Source: President’s Cancer Panel