HPV Vaccination Guidelines

Routine Vaccination Schedule

The American Cancer Society recommends routine HPV vaccination should be initiated at age 11-12 years for all individuals, with a 2-dose schedule for those starting before age 15, and a 3-dose schedule for those starting at age 15 or older 1, 2
For individuals aged 9-14 years, a 2-dose schedule is recommended, with doses administered 6-12 months apart, and the series should be completed by the 13th birthday for greatest effectiveness 1, 3, 4
For individuals aged 15-26 years, a 3-dose schedule is required, with dosing intervals of 1-2 months between the first and second dose, and 6 months between the first and third dose, and a minimum interval of 4 weeks between doses 1 and 2, and 12 weeks between doses 2 and 3 2

The American Cancer Society recommends catch-up vaccination for females aged 13-26 years and males aged 13-21 years if not previously vaccinated or series incomplete 1, 5
Males aged 22-26 years may be vaccinated, but providers should inform them that vaccination at older ages is less effective in lowering cancer risk due to likely prior HPV exposure 1, 2, 5
Men who have sex with men should be vaccinated through age 26 years, regardless of prior vaccination status 1, 2, 6
Immunocompromised individuals, including HIV-positive individuals, should be vaccinated through age 26 years, using a 3-dose schedule regardless of age at initiation 1, 2

The 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV, Gardasil-9) is the only HPV vaccine available in the United States as of January 2017, and it protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 2
HPV types 16 and 18 cause approximately 70% of HPV-related cancers 2
HPV vaccination can prevent approximately 28,500 cancers annually in the United States, including most cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, oropharyngeal, and penile cancers 3, 4, 5