CDC: Vaccination could prevent 92% of cancers attributed to HPV

The HPV vaccine could prevent an estimated 92% of cancers caused by the human papillomavirus in the United States, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authors attribute about 32,100 U.S. cancers annually to HPV-virus types targeted by the vaccine, most commonly oropharyngeal and cervical cancers. CDC recommends all children receive the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12, or anytime through age 26 if not before. Just half of adolescents had received all recommended doses last year, according to the latest CDC data. “This new data shows 1 in 4 parents who received a medical recommendation for the HPV vaccine chose not to have their child vaccinated,” said CDC Director Robert Redfield, M.D. “The HPV vaccine is safe, and we encourage parents to get their pre-teens vaccinated and take the next step to prevent their children from developing HPV-related cancer later in life.”