US Pharm. 2014;39(8):53.
Atlanta, GA—The CDC has announced that vaccination rates for the human papillomavirus (HPV) remain below expectations. In 2013, 37.6% of U.S. girls aged 13 to 17 years received the recommended three doses of the HPV vaccine. That was an increase from 33.4% in 2012 but still far short of the CDC’s goal of an 80% vaccination rate. The percentage of boys receiving the vaccine more than doubled, from 6.8% in 2012 to 13.9% in 2013. Although the CDC recommends the HPV vaccine for all adolescents aged 11 to 12 years, their study found that physicians had not recommended it to one-third of girls and more than half of boys. Parents cited a lack of knowledge about the vaccine and safety concerns as reasons for not having their children vaccinated.
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