Opportunities to vaccinate young women against HPV missed at alarming rate

Two-thirds of young women aged 18-26 who were eligible to receive Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine have missed at least one opportunity to receive the vaccine during a visit to an obstetrics and gynecology clinic, Yale researchers report. This study also confirms previous research showing racial disparities in vaccination for HPV: Women who identify as black are 61% more likely have had a missed opportunity than women who identify as white. These findings are published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. HPV is a well-known cause of pre-cancerous cervical lesions, which, if untreated, could develop into cervical cancer. Immunization against HPV has been shown to be safe and effective in preventing these pre-cancerous lesions. The two-dose HPV vaccine is recommended for administration to It is recommended that girls ages 11-12 receive the two-dose HPV vaccine,and that those through age 26 receive the three-dose vaccination for "catch-up." Yet, rates of immunization for HPV remain low overall in the United States. Previous research has identified missed clinical opportunities as one of the key reasons for the low immunization rate.