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HPV vaccine administered to 1 in 3 girls
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 21, 2010
One in three female teens has received at least one dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine, according to a study in the May American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Researchers analyzed data on 1,709 girls, age 13 to 17, who lived in six states and participated in the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. They found that 34.4% of the girls received at least one HPV injection (link).
The lowest immunization rate was in Texas, where 20.6% of the girls got at least one vaccine dose. New York had the highest HPV vaccination rate at 50.4%. Participants living in states with more poverty were less likely to get the immunization.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine vaccination of girls age 11 or 12 with three doses of the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and other health problems. The immunization series can be started in girls as young as 9. The CDC recommends HPV vaccination for females age 13 to 26 who have not been immunized or who have not completed the three-dose series.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/06/21/prbf0621.htm.
