Reasons to Get HPV Vaccine
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common virus that can cause cancers later in life. Almost every unvaccinated person who is sexually active will get HPV at some time in their life. About 13 million Americans, including teens, become infected with HPV each year. Most HPV infections will go away on their own. But infections that don’t go away can cause certain types of cancer. HPV vaccination can prevent 33,000 of these cancers by preventing the infections that cause them. That’s the same as the average attendance for a baseball game.
Children ages 11–12 years should get two doses of HPV vaccine, given 6 to 12 months apart. HPV vaccines can be given starting at age 9 years.
Children who start the HPV vaccine series on or after their 15th birthday need three doses, given over 6 months.
If your teen isn’t vaccinated yet, call 716-338-0022 to schedule an appointment with their healthcare provider today.
