CDC Updates HPV Vaccine Recommendations for Younger Adolescents

According to a recent press release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated their guidelines on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, recommending that, “11- to 12-year-olds receive two doses of HPV vaccine at least six months apart rather than the previously recommended three doses.”

Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, Director of the CDC is quoted in the release as saying, “Safe, effective, and long-lasting protection against HPV cancers with two visits instead of three means more Americans will be protected from cancer. This recommendation will make it simpler for parents to get their children protected in time.”

This decision comes after Dr. Frieden approved the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) vote to recommend the 2-dose vaccine schedule. The CDC and ACIP recommendations come after the institutions “reviewed data from clinical trials showing two doses of HPV vaccine in younger adolescents (aged 9-14 years) produced an immune response similar or higher than the response in young adults (aged 16-26 years) who received three doses.”

Younger adolescents are scheduled to receive the HPV vaccine along with the whooping cough and meningitis vaccines. According to the press release, this new 2-dose regimen for adolescents ages 11 and 12 years, “will provide safe, effective, and long-lasting protection against HPV cancers.” Adolescents who are ages 13 and 14 will also be able to receive the new 2-dose schedule of the vaccine.

Earlier this month, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the addition of a 2-dose schedule “for 9-valent HPV vaccine for adolescents ages 9 through 14 years.” The CDC is encouraging “clinicians to begin implementing the 2-dose schedule in their practice to protect their preteen patients from HPV cancers.”