Mandy A. Allison, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora and the Children’s Hospital of Colorado in Aurora was the lead author of the study.
Here are six things to know:
1. Dr. Allison said studies suggest that if physicians discuss the HPV vaccine, parents are less likely to refuse than the physician may expect.
2. The HPV vaccine is recommended for children at age 11 to 12 years because it is most effective if given before the child becomes exposed to the HPV virus. In addition, data suggests that the immune response to the HPV vaccine is stronger in children compared to adults.
3. More than 170 types of HPV have been identified; 15 are carcinogenic and 40 are transmitted through sexual contact. While most HPV infections don’t cause disease, high-risk HPV infections are the cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancer. An estimated 12,900 cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 2016, with more than 4,000 cases proving to be fatal.
4. The American Academy of Pediatrics updated its recommendation for HPV vaccination in May 2015, advising pediatricians to routinely administer HPV9. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for females aged 9 to 26 years and males aged 9 to 15 years.
5. According to the study, 60 percent of pediatricians and 59 percent of family physicians strongly recommended the vaccine to 11-and 12-year-old girls, as recommended, and 52 percent of pediatricians and 41 percent of family physicians strongly recommended the vaccine for boys. Roughly 84 percent of pediatricians and 75 percent of family physicians said they discuss the vaccine at 11-and 12-year-old well-child visits.
6. More than half of the physicians polled say about a quarter of parents declined the vaccination.
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