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Who should get the HPV Vaccine?
HPV vaccination is recommended at ages 9–12 years. All preteens need HPV vaccination, so they are protected from HPV infections that can cause cancer later in life. Teens and young adults through age 26 years who didn’t start or finish the HPV vaccine series also need HPV vaccination.
The HPV vaccine is FDA approved for everyone ages 9 to 45.
CDC recommends that 9- to 12-year-olds receive two doses of HPV vaccine 6 to 12 months apart.
The first opportunity for HPV vaccination is at age 9.
The series should be complete by age 12.
Only two doses are needed if the first dose was given before the 15th birthday.
Teens and young adults who start the series later, at ages 15 through 26 years, need three doses of the HPV vaccine.
Children aged 9-14 years who have received two doses of HPV vaccine less than 5 months apart will need a third dose.
Three doses are also recommended for people aged 9 through 26 years who have weakened immune systems.
Vaccination is not recommended for everyone older than age 26 years. For those aged 27-45:
Some not already vaccinated may decide to get the vaccine after speaking with their doctor about their risk for new HPV infections and the possible benefits of vaccination for them.
HPV vaccination provides less benefit because more people this age have already been exposed to HPV.
Who Should Not Get the HPV Vaccine?
HPV vaccines are safe for children who are mildly ill, like those with a low-grade fever of less than 101 degrees, a cold, runny nose, or cough. People with a moderate or severe illness should wait until they are better.
Some people should NOT get HPV vaccines if:
They have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to any ingredient of an HPV vaccine, or to a previous dose of HPV vaccine.
They have an allergy to yeast.
They are pregnant.
How well do these vaccines work?
HPV vaccination works extremely well. HPV vaccine has the potential to prevent more than 90% of HPV-attributable cancers.
HPV vaccination has also reduced the number of cases of precancers of the cervix in young women.
The protection provided by HPV vaccines lasts a long time. People who received HPV vaccines were followed for at least 12 years, and their protection against HPV has remained high with no evidence of decreasing over time.
Since HPV vaccination was first recommended in 2006, infections with HPV types that cause most HPV cancers and genital warts have dropped 88% among teen girls and 81% among young adult women.
Fewer teens and young adults are getting genital warts.
What Are the Possible Side Effects?
Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. Many people who get HPV vaccine have no side effects at all. Some people report having very mild side effects, like a sore arm from the shot.
Nausea
Muscle or joint pain
Dizziness or fainting
The most common side effects of HPV vaccine are usually mild and include:
Pain, redness, or swelling in the arm where the shot was given
Fever
Headache or feeling tired
Fainting after any vaccine, including HPV vaccine, is more common among adolescents than others. To prevent fainting and injuries from fainting, adolescents should be seated or lying down during vaccination and for 15 minutes after the injection.
Very rarely, severe (anaphylactic) allergic reactions might occur after vaccination. People with severe allergies to any component of a vaccine should not receive that vaccine.
Where Can I Find These Vaccines?
HPV vaccine may be available at doctor offices, community health clinics, school-based health centers, pharmacies, and health departments.
If your doctor does not stock the HPV vaccine, ask for a referral or click one of the options below:
You can also contact your state health department to learn more about where to get HPV vaccine in your community outside of Alabama.
How Do I Pay for These Vaccines?
Most health insurance plans cover routine vaccinations, including the HPV vaccine. Other options are listed below.
Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program
(Free HPV vaccines for 9 to18 year-olds)
The VFC Program offers vaccines at no cost to eligible children through public and private healthcare providers who enroll and agree to immunize eligible children in their practices/clinics.
Children from birth through 18 years of age are eligible to receive free vaccines through this program including children who are:
Medicaid enrolled
Uninsured,
Under-insured
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Children who have health insurance that does not include vaccines as a covered benefit may receive free vaccines through the VFC Program from a federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic. The VFC Program includes the HPV vaccine.
Merck Patient Assistance Program
(Free HPV vaccines for 19 to 45 year-olds)
This private and confidential program provides vaccines free of charge to eligible individuals, primarily the uninsured who, without assistance, could not afford needed Merck medicines.
Patients may be eligible for the program if all 3 of the following conditions apply:
They reside in the United States and are 19 to 45 years of age
They have no health insurance coverage
They meet the stated income limits
Individuals who do not meet the insurance coverage criteria may still qualify for the vaccine program if the patient has special circumstances of financial and medical hardship.
For more information, access the application below.
Vaccine recommendations, safety, and effectiveness information on this page is consolidated from the CDC and National HPV Vaccination Roundtable