2018 data show that adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates increased slightly, but more work needs to be done to protect more people against HPV-associated cancers.
A new report from the CDC shows little progress toward increasing HPV vaccination rates among teenagers 13-17 years old. HPV vaccination rates increased slightly for boys, but there was no increase in rates among girls, highlighting the need for continued efforts to ensure all boys and girls are vaccinated on time. The percentage of teen boys and girls who received all recommended doses of the HPV vaccine increased from 49% to 51%. The increase in HPV vaccination rates was due to increases in boys only. The percentage of boys who received all recommended doses increased by 4 percentage points compared to 0.6 percentage points among girls. HPV vaccination rates were higher among teens whose parents reported receiving a recommendation from their child’s healthcare professional.
