Study Supports Two Doses of HPV Vaccine for Younger Teens

HealthDay News — Two doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, rather than 3, can effectively protect younger teens against the virus, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.¹ The study was one of a number evaluated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year, which led to the CDC’s revised guidelines in October.

The research included 1518 young people, aged 9 to 26, who were vaccinated against HPV at 52 sites in 15 countries. Researchers administered 2 doses of HPV vaccine to teens aged 9 to 14, and 3 doses of the vaccine to older teens and young women.

The researchers found that girls and boys in the younger age group achieved the same immunity with 2 doses 6 to 12 months apart as older teens and young women did on a 3-dose regimen over 6 months.

“With a simplified schedule and lower cost, it can be assumed [there would be] both higher coverage and improved compliance,” lead author Ole-Erik Iversen, MD, PhD, from the University of Bergen in Norway, told HealthDay.

The study was funded by Merck.

Reference

1. Iversen OE, Miranda MJ, Ulied A, et al. Immunogenicity of the 9-Valent HPV vaccine using 2-dose regimens in girls and boys vs a 3-dose regimen in women. JAMA. 2016 Nov 21. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.17615. [Epub ahead of print]