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A recent CDC study stated that 20 percent of boys received
at least one HPV vaccine shot last year, which was “a good start,” according to
Shannon Stokley, a vaccination expert with CDC, especially since health
officials initially worried it would be difficult to do.
HPV is an STD that often can go away on its own; however, if
it progressed, it could cause cervical cancer in women, genital warts in both
men and women, and throat and anal cancer. CDC recommended the vaccine for boys
more to stop the spread of HPV to girls, thus reducing cervical cancer
incidence.
Many vaccines take years to be accepted fully by parents and
given widely to children. Meningococcal vaccine had a 12-percent rate in the
first few years of initial introduction.
The CDC report, based on telephone interviews with families
of approximately 19,000 boys and girls, covered vaccination rates for 2012, the
first full year since CDC recommended the shots for boys. It also showed that
fewer than 7 percent of boys received the full three-dose series of
vaccinations, but the HPV numbers for boys still gave reason to be optimistic,
said CDC's Dr. Melinda Wharton. "Given how the coverage level has stalled
for girls, though, a solid start isn't enough," she cautioned.
Last year’s rate for girls was 54 percent, which was
approximately the same as the previous two years. Only approximately 30 percent
of girls received the full three-dose series last year. "We'd really like
to do much better with boys and girls," Wharton said.
