Teen HPV Vaccination Has Not Moved in Four Years and the Rural Gap Now Reaches Twelve Percentage Points

According to national survey data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among American teenagers did not increase for the fourth year in a row. Among 13- to 17-year-olds last year, 77.7 percent had received at least one HPV dose and 63.4 percent were up to date with the series. Coverage with at least one dose of Tdap fell from 91.3 percent to 88.8 percent, and at least one dose of the meningococcal MenACWY vaccine fell from 90.1 percent to 89.0 percent, with both remaining near 90 percent.

The CDC report found that coverage with at least one HPV dose was 12.0 percentage points lower among adolescents in mostly rural areas than among those in mostly urban areas, and the share who were up to date was 14.2 percentage points lower, a difference that held regardless of family income. CDC authors offered a structural reason for HPV lagging: Tdap is required for school entry in all states and MenACWY in most, while few states require HPV vaccination.

State variation is larger still, with at least one HPV dose ranging from 49.5 percent in Mississippi to 94.1 percent in Rhode Island. The survey also found that 92.5 percent of adolescents had two documented MMR doses, remaining below the 95 percent target under Healthy People 2030. The CDC noted that the observed Tdap and MenACWY declines should be interpreted with caution and may partly reflect incomplete provider reporting.