Good job, parents. More teens are up-to-date on their HPV vaccines than in previous years, the Centers for Disease Control tells us in a new report.
University of Miami pediatrician Judith L. Schaechter gives an HPV vaccination to a 13-year-old girl in her office in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images 2011
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The number of adolescents age 13-17 years who have completed the recommended doses in the HPV series was up 5 percentage points from 2016 to 2017. Now 49 percent had completed the series. As well, 66 percent had started the series.
The CDC notes:
In addition to a yearly flu vaccine, CDC recommends three vaccines for all preteen boys and girls:
- meningococcal conjugate vaccine to protect against meningitis
- HPV vaccine to protect against HPV cancers; and
- Tdap booster to protect against whooping cough.
RELATED: CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics release new vaccine schedule
For kids age 9-14, it’s two doses between six and 12 months apart. For kids age 15 and older, it’s three doses. The second one is a month after the first; the third is three months after that.
The HPV vaccine can prevent 90 percent of the 31,200 cases of cancer caused by HPV in the United States every year.