HPV Vaccine Rates Jumped For Girls & Boys In 2015

Vaccination rates for Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, are up among teen boys and girls across the U.S., and particularly in Rhode Island. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that from 2014 to 2015, HPV vaccination rates among teen boys climbed several percentage points, with about half of all teen boys receiving the vaccine. For girls, who started with higher vaccination rates, the increase was smaller. Roughly 62 percent of teenage girls received the vaccine.

But in Rhode Island, where state officials added the HPV vaccine to the list of requirements for 7^th graders, rates of vaccination among males jumped from 69 to 80 percent. For girls the increase was more than 10 points, to nearly 88 percent. Both rates beat the national average.

This year, 7^th graders will again be required to get the first HPV vaccine dose in Rhode Island. Eighth graders will be required to receive their second dose.