From the Guidelines
The recommended Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine schedule is to vaccinate all children at ages 11 or 12 years, with the option to start the series as early as age 9 years.
Recommended Vaccine Schedule
- For persons initiating vaccination before their 15th birthday, a 2-dose schedule is recommended, with the second dose administered 6 to 12 months after the first dose 1, 2, 3.
- For those who initiate the vaccination series at ages 15 through 26 years and for immunocompromised persons, a 3-dose schedule is recommended, at 0, 1 to 2, and 6 months 1, 4.
Key Points
- The 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV) is the only vaccine currently offered in the United States and is recommended for routine vaccination of individuals 11 through 12 years of age 2, 4.
- Vaccination is also recommended for 13- through 26-year-old females and 13- through 21-year-old males who have not been vaccinated previously or who have not completed the series 5, 2.
- Men who have sex with men, bisexual men, and transgender people up to the age of 26 are also advised to receive the 3-dose regimen 4.
- The vaccine has been shown to be highly effective in preventing HPV-related cancers and precancers, with a significant reduction in the prevalence of HPV-related cervical abnormalities 3.
From the Research
HPV Vaccine Schedule
The recommended Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine schedule varies based on age and other factors.
- For girls aged 9-14 years, a two-dose schedule is recommended prior to becoming sexually active 6.
- For girls 15 years and older, a three-dose schedule is recommended 6, 7.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a two-dose schedule for girls aged 9-14 years, with doses spaced at least 6 months apart 7, 8.
- For males, the quadrivalent HPV vaccine is recommended, and it has been shown to reduce the incidence of external genital lesions and anogenital warts 9.
- The nonavalent vaccine provides additional protection against HPV types 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58, and is recommended for individuals 9-26 years old 6.
Dose Intervals
- The interval between doses of HPV vaccine can vary, with some studies suggesting that a longer interval (6 or 12 months) between the first two doses may result in stronger antibody responses 9.
- The WHO recommends a minimum of 6 months between doses for the two-dose schedule 7, 8.
- In the United States, the current recommendation is for 3 doses to be administered over a 6-month period, with a median time of 2.6 months between the first and second doses, and 4.9 months between the second and third doses 8.
Special Considerations
- For individuals living with HIV, both the bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines have been shown to result in high antibody responses, although the evidence is limited 9.
- The use of a single-dose HPV vaccination schedule remains controversial, with some studies suggesting that it may be effective, but more research is needed to confirm this 6, 10.