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CDC now routinely recommends two doses of HPV vaccine for 11
or 12 year olds to prevent HPV cancers. This recommendation makes it
easier for parents to protect their children by reducing the number of shots
and trips to the doctor. HPV vaccination is an important cancer prevention tool
and two doses of HPV vaccine will provide safe, effective and long-lasting
protection when given at the recommended ages of 11 and 12 years. Some of the
specifics of the recommendation include:
- The first HPV vaccine dose is routinely
recommended at 11-12 years old. The second dose of the vaccine should be
administered 6 to 12 months after the first dose.
- Teens and young adults who start the series at
ages 15 through 26 years will continue to need three doses of HPV vaccine to
protect against cancer-causing HPV infections.
- Adolescents aged 9 through 14 years who have
already received two doses of HPV vaccine less than 5 months apart, will
require a third dose.
- Three doses are recommended for people with
weakened immune systems aged 9-26 years.
With patients aged
11-12 years, start the vaccine discussion with their parents by making the
following recommendation: “Now that your child is 11 (or 12) years old, they
are due for three vaccines today to help protect them from meningitis, HPV
cancers, and pertussis—or whooping cough.”
Many parents are accepting of this bundled recommendation
because it demonstrates that HPV vaccination is a normal part of adolescent
vaccination. Parents may be interested in vaccinating, yet still have
questions. Some parents might just need additional information from you, the
clinician they trust. Clarify what the parent’s question is or what additional
information they need.
For parents who have a question or need more
information about “why now/why 11-12?” you can tell parents:
“Like with all vaccine-preventable
diseases, we want to protect your child early. If we start now, it’s one less
thing for you to worry about. Also, your child will only need two doses of HPV
vaccine at this age. If you wait, your child may need three doses in order to
get complete protection.
We’ll give the first shot today and then
you’ll need to bring your child back in 6 to 12 months from now for the second
dose.”
If a parent has a question or needs more information about “How long can we wait and still give just two doses?” you can say:
“The two-dose schedule is recommend if the series is started before the 15th birthday. However, I don’t recommend waiting to give this cancer-preventing vaccine. As children get older and have busier schedules, it becomes more difficult to get them back in. I’d feel best if we started the series today to get them protected as soon as possible.”
For patients aged 9-14 who have already had two doses given less than 5
months apart, you can tell parents:
“The recommended
schedule is 2 doses, 6 to 12 months apart. The minimum interval between doses is 5
months. Because your child received two doses less than five
months apart, we’ll need to give your child a third dose.”
For parents who ask about the duration of
protection or how well the vaccine will work with just two doses, you can say:
"Studies have shown that 2-doses of HPV
vaccine work very well in younger adolescents and we expect the same
long-lasting protection with 2 doses that we expect with 3 doses."
You can always access additional
guidance on answering parents question about HPV vaccine by using our “tip
sheet.”
Please
email us at preteenvaccines@xxxxxxx
with questions or comments!
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