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HPV vaccination rates rise in US, CDC says
The proportion of adolescents who were up to date on HPV vaccination increased by 5.2 percentage points from 2016 to 2017, but more than half have still not completed the series, according to findings published in MMWR.
“This vaccine is the best way to protect our youth from developing cancers caused by HPV infection,” CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD, said in a statement. “Vaccination is the key to cervical cancer elimination. I’m pleased to see parents are taking advantage of this crucial public health tool and thank the clinicians who are working to ensure all children are protected from these cancers in the future.”
In their report, Tanja Y. Walker, MPH, scientist and epidemiologist in the CDC’s Immunization Services Division, and colleagues noted that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends routine immunization of persons aged 11 to 12 years with the HPV, quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY), and tetanus and reduced diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccines. To estimate adolescent vaccine coverage, they analyzed data from the 2017 National Immunization Survey-Teen for 20,949 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years. According to the survey, nearly 66% of adolescents aged 13 to 17 received the first dose, starting the HPV vaccine series, in 2017. Additionally, nearly 49% of adolescents received all three the doses, completing the series, an increase of 5.2 percentage points.
Researchers noted the improvement over previous years but said there are still too many adolescents not up to date on the vaccine, with nearly 51% not having completed the series. The survey showed that the number of adolescents in rural areas who received the first dose of the HPV vaccine was 11 percentage points lower compared with those in urban areas.
The survey showed that 56% of adolescents had not received both doses of the MenACWY vaccine and that the number of adolescents who received the first dose of the vaccine was 7 percentage points lower in rural areas than in urban areas.
Researchers said the overall shortage of health care providers, especially pediatricians, in rural areas could partially account for the lower coverage. Additionally, they said the health care providers in rural areas serve a broader population base, rendering them less familiar with adolescent vaccination recommendations.
The survey showed that the HPV vaccination initiation rates remain lower than coverage with Tdap and MenACWY. They suggested this is from ongoing challenges to provide all three vaccines during the same visit. However, they said efforts are underway to promote and improve on-time vaccination, including the implementation of a new combined Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Informative Set measure for adolescent vaccines that assesses receipt of all three recommended vaccines, including HPV vaccine series completion by age 13.
“The increase in HPV vaccination coverage indicated that further efforts to address barriers to HPV vaccination initiation and series completion likely will lead to greater protection against HPV-associated cancers,” the authors concluded. – by Caitlyn Stulpin
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.