Gardasil Vaccination Rates Increased To 37% Of Teen Girls In 2008, CDC Says

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Article Date: 21 Sep 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Thirty-seven percent of girls ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. had received one or more doses of Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, in 2008, an increase from 25% in 2007, according to data released on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Gardasil, which is approved for girls and women ages nine to 26, includes three shots over six months. The vaccine targets two strains of HPV that account for roughly 70% of cervical cancer cases (Stobbe, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/17). Gardasil also protects against genital warts. CDC recommends the vaccine for girls ages 11 to 12 and for those ages 13 to 26 who have not received the full set of shots (Olmos, Bloomberg, 9/18).

According to the CDC study, 18% of girls received the full three-dose series of the vaccine.

Rates Vary By State

The new report was the first to examine Gardasil vaccination data by state. It found that vaccination rates varied significantly between states (AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/17). Six states (Arizona, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont) had coverage exceeding 50% for the HPV vaccine, while rates failed to reach 20% in Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina (CDC report). Heather Brandt, a public health researcher at the University of South Carolina, said, "It's disturbing to see those states at the lower end of participation because those are states with some of the highest rates of cervical cancer" (AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/17). New Hampshire reported the highest vaccination rate at 54.4%, and Mississippi reporting the lowest at 15.8% (Bloomberg, 9/18).

Melinda Wharton, a CDC administrator, said that it is unclear why rates varied so much from state to state. According to the AP/Journal-Constitution, cost could be a factor, as the three-dose series costs about $390 without insurance coverage -- making it the most expensive of recommended childhood vaccines. Although many private health insurers pay for the vaccine, health officials noted variations in public insurance coverage. Another factor that might affect vaccination rates is that some parents could be unable or unwilling to take their children to the doctor three times over six months to get the shots, the AP/Journal-Constitution reports (AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/17).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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