Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Before 13 and 15 Years of Age: Analysis of National Immunization Survey Teen Data

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is suboptimally used in the United States. Vaccination before the 13th birthday is recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and vaccination before the 15th birthday requires only 2 doses. We estimated the proportion of adolescents up to date for HPV vaccine using provider-verified vaccination data from the 2016 National Immunization Survey-Teen. Only 16% of US adolescents completed HPV vaccination before turning 13, and 35% completed HPV vaccination before turning 15. With sexual activity initiation increasing throughout adolescence and higher immunogenicity for younger vaccinees, vaccination before the 13th birthday can provide better protection against HPV-related cancers.