CDC: Younger Patients Can Get Just 2 Doses of HPV Vaccine

By Stacy SimonThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its recommendation for the HPV vaccination for ages 9 through 14. Children in that age group can now get just 2 shots instead of 3. The shots can be given at least 6 months apart. The CDC continues to recommend that most children get the vaccine at age 11 or 12.Debbie Saslow, PhD, senior director, HPV Related and Women’s Cancers at the American Cancer Society, said the new recommendation will make it easier for people to get protection from HPV. “It’s a burden on parents to get teenagers to the provider’s office. The new recommendations not only cut down on repeated trips, but also spread out the recommended interval. This adds the flexibility that allows the second shot to be given at a time when the child will already be at the provider’s office for something else – an annual checkup, a sports physical, or even something like a strep test.”The new recommendations come from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a group of medical and public health experts that develop recommendations on use of vaccines in the general population of the United States.The first HPV vaccine dose is routinely recommended at 11-12 years old. The second dose of the vaccine should be given 6 to 12 months after the first dose.Teens and young adults who start getting the vaccination at ages 15 through 26 years will continue to need 3 doses of HPV vaccine to protec...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Cervical Cancer Prevention/Early Detection Source Type: news