8. HPV Vaccine up to Age 26
In June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices expanded the recommendation for the Gardasil 9 human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to include all women and men through age 26. The vaccine prevents nine types of HPV that cause cervical, anal, oral and other cancers or anal-genital warts. CDC researchers recently reported that the vaccine could have prevented more than 90% of HPV-related cancers. What’s more, widespread vaccination leads to so-called herd immunity, so even people who aren’t vaccinated themselves are protected. The committee stopped short of recommending routine vaccination up to age 45, which the Food and Drug Administration approved last year, but left this as a shared decision for individuals and their providers.
