HPV Vaccination Rates Reach 60% Among U.S. Teens

Why it matters locally: Alabama's Department of Public Health encourages HPV vaccination to prevent cancers, aligning with CDC recommendations. Increased vaccination rates nationally could inform and potentially improve Alabama's public health strategies regarding cancer prevention.

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Washington D.C. – A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report indicates that 60% of U.S. adolescents are now receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The data, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, highlights an increase in the percentage of parents choosing to protect their children against HPV-related cancers through vaccination. The HPV vaccine is designed to protect against several types of cancer, including cervical, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers. The CDC recommends routine HPV vaccination for adolescents aged 11 or 12, with catch-up vaccinations available for individuals through age 26. The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report provides timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. The publications provide data on a variety of health-related topics for health professionals, public health officials, and the general public.