All 69 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the country issued a joint statement expressing their support of the CDC's recently revised vaccination recommendations for the human papillomavirus.
The CDC currently recommends boys and girls 11 to 12 years of age receive two doses of the 9-valent HPV vaccine at least six months apart. Adolescents and young adults 15 and older should continue to complete the three-dose series, which was previously recommended for the younger age group as well.
"This collaborative effort is a tremendous opportunity to raise awareness of these new recommendations and the importance of HPV vaccination, knowing that most people will be exposed to HPV at some point in their lives," said Lois Ramondetta, MD, professor of gynecologic oncology and reproductive medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "We hope that requiring two shots instead of three will make it easier for children to be vaccinated, bringing rates closer to the Healthy People 2020 goal of 80 percent."
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