For first time in decade, teen HPV vaccine coverage does not increase

Key takeaways:

• Only 62.6% of surveyed teenagers were up to date with HPV vaccination in 2022.
• Coverage decreased among Medicaid-insured teens and uninsured teens.

HPV vaccine coverage in U.S. teenagers did not increase in 2022 for the first time in a decade, according to data published in MMWR.

HPV vaccines are currently recommended for children at ages 11 and 12 years. This year, researchers reported that moving HPV vaccine initiation to age 9 or 10 years could improve coverage.

While parents remain hesitant about HPV vaccination, findings have suggested that reframing conversations about the vaccines to focus on their ability to reduce the risk for cancer could improve uptake.

For the new study, researchers examined data on 16,043 adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years from the CDC's National Immunization Survey-Teen to determine if adolescent vaccination coverage has changed in recent years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the first time since 2013, the proportion of 13- to 17-year-olds who received their first doses of HPV vaccine in 2022 did not increase, and only 62.6% of surveyed teenagers were up to date on HPV vaccination in 2022, according to the report.

Researchers also found that HPV vaccination coverage decreased among Medicaid-insured teens while remaining lowest among uninsured teens, two of the four groups eligible for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.

“In contrast to findings for the 2008 birth cohort, coverage by age 13 years was not lower for the 2009 birth cohort compared with the two earlier birth cohorts, perhaps because these adolescents had an additional year after the peak of the pandemic to receive routinely recommended vaccines before becoming overdue, and because many primary care offices returned to normal operations,” the authors wrote.

The researchers also found that although HPV vaccination has declined, coverage with at least one dose of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine and one or more doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine was “high and stable, around 90%.”

Overall, vaccination coverage by age 14 years decreased for adolescents born in 2008 compared with those born earlier, highlighting the need for catch-up vaccination for some adolescents.

“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many families might have missed well-child appointments when vaccinations were due,” the authors wrote. “Ensuring that adolescents are up to date with recommended vaccines (Tdap, [meningitis ACWY], and HPV vaccine) is the best way to protect them from vaccine-preventable diseases. Particular focus is needed for subgroups that experienced larger recent declines in vaccination coverage or substantially lower coverage, including those born during 2008 and VFC-eligible populations.”