HPV Vaccination Coverage: Improved, but Only for Males
Three doses of HPV vaccine are recommended for all females aged 11 through 26; males aged 11 through 21; males aged 22 through 26 who have sex with other men; and for immunocompromised males, including those with HIV.[15]
HPV vaccination (at least one dose) coverage for females (aged 19-26) of 36.9% is similar to 2012 estimates, but vaccination coverage of 5.9% for males (aged 19-26) demonstrates a somewhat encouraging 3.6% increase in coverage.[1] The HPV vaccine is a prophylactic vaccine and must be given before exposure to the virus to be protective.[15]
At the time of this survey, only two HPV vaccines were available: HPV-2 (FDA-approved only for females) and HPV-4 (FDA-approved for both males and females).[15] A 9-valent HPV vaccine, Gardasil® 9, was FDA-approved in December 2014.[16] Look for future guidance from ACIP about how to incorporate this new vaccine into the schedule.
Medscape Internal Medicine © 2015 WebMD, LLC
Cite this: Adult Immunization 2015: Our Performance Review - Medscape - Feb 05, 2015.
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