Cancer Prevention Vaccine? The Earlier the Better! 

08/19/2024

Current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for the human papillomavirus vaccine should begin as early as 9 years of age5, with the target of receiving two doses before age 13. The CDC recommends children ages 11–12 years get 2 doses, given 6 to 12 months apart, in most cases4. Only 2 doses are needed if the first dose was given before 13th birthday.  Advocate for the HPV vaccination ‘on the same day and in the same way’ as other childhood vaccines3. 

Providers should share the following with parents to remind them how to protect their children with the HPV Vaccine:

  • Earlier vaccination means more opportunities to prevent cancer! It protects children long before they ever have contact with the virus. There is no way to predict which patients who have HPV will develop cancer.
  • Since introduction of the HPV vaccine in 2006, the percentage of cervical pre-cancers caused by the HPV types most often linked to cervical cancer has dropped by 40% according to the Centers for Disease Control2 .
  • Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women and resulted in 350,000 deaths in 20221.
  • With its incorporation into vaccine schedules in at least one hundred countries worldwide, along with high performance screening, the World Health Organization projects that by 2030, 90% of cancers will be treated in the pre-cancerous stage, and 90% of invasive cancers can be managed6,7.

Parents may ask why does my child need the HPV vaccine?

  • HPV can cause certain related cancers and diseases later in life including cancers of the cervix, back of the throat, anus, penis, vagina, or vulva that can potentially be avoided by vaccinating now4. The vaccine should be given prior to exposure to cancer-causing HPV types. There is no way to predict which patients who have HPV will develop cancer.
  • It is important that both girls and boys receive the HPV vaccine. Penile cancer can occur in men. HPV has also been linked to anal, and head and neck cancers in both men and women4.

Should I wait until my child is sexually active? Why is it important if my child isn’t sexually active?

Because HPV infects about 13 million people, including teens, each year.  Waiting until after exposure will not prevent transmission.  Annually, about 36,000 men and women develop a cancer caused by HPV. The vaccination could prevent more than 90% of these cancers from ever developing7.

Does HPV vaccination negatively affect fertility?

The HPV vaccine does not cause fertility problems. However, not getting the vaccine leaves people vulnerable to HPV cancers and precancers. People who develop a cancer caused by HPV will need treatment that can sometimes limit their ability to have children, such as a hysterectomy, chemotherapy, or radiation. Treatment for cervical precancer could also put women at risk for problems with their cervix, which can sometimes cause preterm delivery7.

References:

  1. World Health Organization, accessed 8/14/2024, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer#:~:text=Key%20facts,350%20000%20deaths%20in%202022
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/vaccination-impact/index.html ; Date Accessed 8/14/2024 and Published 7/9/2024
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Date Accessed 8/14/2024  and Published November 16, 2021 ; specific website- https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/hcp/index.html#:~:text=CDC%20encourages%20healthcare%20professionals%20to,recommend%20other%20vaccines%20for%20adolescents
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Date Accessed 8/14/2024 and Published JULY 9, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/vaccines/index.html
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Date Accessed 8/14/2024 and Published November 16, 2021; https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/hcp/vaccines.html#:~:text=HPV%20vaccines%20are%20highly%20immunogenic,titer%20determined%20to%20be%20protective
  6. World Health Organization, (who.int). Date published 2020 & accessed 8/14/2024; https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240014107
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; HPV Vaccine Safety for Parents; Date Accessed 8/14/2024 and Published July 9, 2024 ; https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/vaccination-impact/index.html#:~:text=HPV%20Vaccine%20Safety%20for%20Parents