One In Four Teenage Girls Received HPV Vaccine In Its First Full Year Of Distribution, CDC Says

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Article Date: 13 Oct 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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A report released by CDC on Thursday said 25% of teenage girls in the U.S. between ages 13 and 17 received at least one dose of Merck's three-shot human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, last year, the Wall Street Journal reports (Corbett Dooren, Wall Street Journal, 10/10). The report indicates that about 2.5 million girls in the U.S. received at least one shot of the vaccine. It was the first look at how many teenage girls are getting the vaccine, which was approved in 2006 (Dunham, Reuters, 10/9). Gardasil in clinical trials has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases, and about 99% effective in preventing HPV strains 6 and 11, which together cause about 90% of genital wart cases, among women not already infected with these strains (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/20).

The data were published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and were drawn from the second year of CDC's National Immunization Survey for Teens. Researchers surveyed a representative sample of nearly 3,000 teens ages 13 to 17 and then confirmed their answers with vaccination records from physicians (Maugh, Los Angeles Times, 10/10). CDC has set a goal of getting 90% of teens vaccinated, according to CQ HealthBeat (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 10/9). Lance Rodewald, director of the division of immunization services at CDC, said, "For a new vaccine, 25% is really good," adding, "We need to see that rate every year if we are going to meet our goal" of having 90% of teenagers vaccinated. However, immunologist Martin Kast of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine said, "Twenty-five percent is not bad, but it's not good either." He noted that data released earlier this year by Merck found that only about 1% of Hispanic teens were receiving the vaccine, adding that "they are the population that needs it the most" because of the high incidence rate of the disease in that population (Maugh, Los Angeles Times, 10/10).

According to the AP/New York Times, proponents of Gardasil had been hoping for "much higher" vaccination rates, saying that the vaccine could substantially reduce the nearly 4,000 cervical cancer deaths that occur annually in the U.S. Patti Gravitt, an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University who was not involved in the report, said many families still are concerned about the safety of new vaccines. The cost of the $375 vaccine also is a factor, although many health insurance plans now cover it. There also are questions about whether the vaccine will provide lifelong immunity or if a booster shot would be needed. Gravitt said, "Some parents may be adopting the attitude with their daughters that, 'Well, you're still young; I can wait a couple more years before you're sexually active'" (AP/New York Times, 10/10).

Critics also have raised concerns that vaccinating girls against HPV would encourage sexual activity. Rodewald said that there is no evidence that vaccination encourages sexual activity, adding that CDC needs to promote education efforts that encourage acceptance of Gardasil and reduce cost barriers (CQ HealthBeat, 10/9). Merck said in a statement that it is encouraged by CDC's findings but that "more needs to be done to protect the other 75%" of teens who have not received the vaccine (Reuters, 10/9).

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