Why Kids Younger Than 14 Need Only 2 HPV Vaccine Shots

In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines for HPV vaccine use, a change was prompted by recent studies.

The research showed that, in young adolescents, two doses of HPV vaccine produce an immune response equal to or greater than three doses in older adolescents.

The CDC now says that preteens who get HPV vaccine at ages 11 to 12 – the optimal age – need only two shots rather than the previously recommended three.

The shots should be spaced at least six months apart. Teens ages 13 to 14 also can follow the two-shot schedule.

Talk with your child’s doctor about vaccination. Typically, 11- or 12-year-olds receive HPV vaccine at the same time as vaccines against whooping cough and meningitis.