Dive Brief:
- Data from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, recently published in Pediatrics, has found the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine reduced the virus 64% in teenage girls and 34% in women in their early 20s. The study did not include data from vaccinated boys.
- Although the sexually transmitted virus has been linked to cervical cancer and the vaccine's effectiveness proven, immunization rates are low - 40% of girls and 20% of boys between 13 and 17. Two states, Virginia and Rhode Island, require the vaccine, as does the District of Columbia.
- The CDC is working with other medical groups to boost the immunization rates and there are efforts to recommend the vaccine be given earlier to women between ages 11 and 12 for an enhanced immune response.
Dive Insight:
According to the The New York Times, 14 million Americans become infected with HPV annually, with some strains leading to genital warts and anal, cervical, penile, mouth and throat cancers. Cervical cancer claims 4,120 women's lives every year, says the American Cancer Society. Although vaccination rates are low, national surveys show the number of girls ages 13 to 17 who received at least one dose of the vaccine increased from 44% in 2009 to 54% in 2012.
Some point to the vaccine's administration - given in three doses - as part of the hurdle to wider participation. Other countries give the vaccine in two doses, and in many cases, it's offered by the schools and covered by national healthcare.
The vaccine's association with sexually transmitted diseases may prevent parents from discussing it with their pediatrician. Dr. Lauri E. Markowitz, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases and the lead study researcher, told the The New York Times, "Multiple studies have shown the importance of a strong provider recommendation for increasing vaccination coverage."
A new HPV vaccine, 9vHPV, was approved in 2014 that protects against nine HPV types and has the potential to prevent nearly 90% of HPV-associated cancers, says CNN.