HPV vaccination age expanded in the USA

medwireNews: The US FDA has agreed to expand the age range for use of the recombinant human papillomavirus (HPV) 9-valent vaccine to include women and men aged 27 to 45 years

This particular vaccine was approved in 2014 for the prevention of cervical cancer associated with HPV infection in patients aged 9 to 26 years.

The expanded approval follows study data for 3200 women aged 27 to 45 years who were followed up for an average of 3.5 years after vaccination. The vaccine was 88% effective at the prevention of the combined endpoint of persistent infection, genital warts, precancerous lesions of the vulvar, vagina and cervix, and cervical cancer.

The FDA states that the efficacy of this vaccine in men is inferred from this trial, from earlier research in younger men, and from immunogenicity data.

By Lynda Williams

medwireNews is an independent medical news service provided by Springer Healthcare. © 2018 Springer Healthcare part of the Springer Nature group

See also:

• Catch-up HPV vaccination supported in older adolescence
• HPV vaccination ‘tremendous potential’ for prevention of oral HPV infection
• HPV vaccine reassurance for younger women
• Educational gap exposed on HPV link to head and neck cancer