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Leading cancer research centers reinforce importance of safe and effective HPV vaccination to prevent cancer

MD Anderson News Release September 16, 2025

• 62 NCI-designated cancer centers, leading national organizations and the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center jointly endorse statement
• Nationally, HPV vaccination coverage has stagnated, falling short of national goals

Today, Â鶹ӳ»­ MD Anderson Cancer Center, along with 61 , leading national organizations and the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, endorsed a joint statement urging the nation¡¯s health care systems, physicians and other health care providers and professionals, parents, caregivers and the public to promote and choose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for cancer prevention.

HPV vaccination is safe and works to prevent six types of cancer (oropharyngeal, cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar and penile). Recently released data show no gains in HPV vaccination over the last few years, indicating urgent action is needed to ensure children today are protected against HPV-related cancers they may develop in adulthood.

¡°HPV vaccines offer the opportunity to eliminate the occurrence of cancer across six organs in which chronic HPV infections drive cancer development,¡± said , vice president and division head of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at MD Anderson. ¡°Knowing we can prevent thousands of future cancers, we are proud to endorse this  joint statement with our colleagues across the U.S.¡±

HPV vaccination is cancer prevention, with 90% of HPV-related cancers preventable through on-time HPV vaccination by a child¡¯s 13th birthday. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended routine HPV vaccination for females since 2006 and for males since 2011. Current HPV vaccination guidelines are for routine vaccination at ages 9 to 12. Catch-up HPV vaccination is recommended through age 26. Adults aged 27 through 45 should talk with their health care providers about HPV vaccination because some people who have not been vaccinated might benefit. The HPV vaccine series consists of two doses for children who get the first dose at ages 9 to14, three doses for immunocompromised people, and three doses for those who start the series at age 15 or older.

According to the most recent , only 63% of boys and girls ages 13 to 17 and only 59% of boys and girls ages 13 to 15 completed the HPV vaccination series in 2024, with great variability by geographic region and locale, and with lower coverage among children in rural areas. Nationally, HPV vaccination coverage has stagnated for the last three years and falls short of the national Healthy People 2030 goal of 80% of children aged 13 to 15 who are vaccinated.

HPV is common. Nearly 80 million Americans ¨C one out of every four people ¨C are infected with HPV, a virus that causes six types of cancer. Of those millions, more than 40,000 will be diagnosed with HPV-related cancers this year and hundreds of thousands more with pre-cancers caused by HPV. Despite those staggering figures and the availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV infections, HPV vaccination coverage remains significantly lower than other recommended vaccines for this same age group in the U.S. It is not yet known in whom HPV infection will lead to cancer, but HPV vaccination is known to protect those who are vaccinated.

HPV vaccine is safe. Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. Many people who get the HPV vaccine have no side effects at all. The most common side effects are usually mild, like a sore arm from the shot. Findings from many vaccine safety monitoring systems and more than 160 studies show HPV vaccines have a favorable safety profile. Currently available scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports the safety of the HPV vaccine.

HPV vaccination is effective at preventing HPV-related infections and cancers. In the U.S., where HPV vaccination coverage remains suboptimal, gains have been observed but full population benefit not yet realized. From 2008 to 2022, cervical pre-cancer incidence decreased 79% and higher-grade pre-cancer incidence decreased 80% among women aged 20 to 24 years screened for cervical cancer, the age group most likely to have been vaccinated, according to a in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

To ensure protection against HPV-related cancers and move closer to eliminating HPV cancers as a public health concern in the U.S., urgent action is needed. HPV vaccination is the best tool in the toolbox to prevent HPV-related cancers.

The call to action comes during the back-to-school period, a time during which most children aged 9 to 12 are vaccinated against HPV, and during Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, which is a time to raise awareness about gynecologic cancers caused by HPV. The organizations collectively urge the following actions:

• Health care systems¡¯ staff and providers should immediately identify and contact parents and caregivers of age-eligible children who are due for HPV vaccination and encourage them to complete vaccinations.
•  Parents and caregivers should have their age-eligible children vaccinated as soon as possible. A list of recommended vaccines is available on the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) .
• Talk with family members and friends about HPV vaccination. Share the facts about HPV vaccination as cancer prevention.
• Learn more about HPV vaccination from the , , , and Association of Pediatrics.

Sixty-two NCI-Designated Cancer Centers with leading national organizations and the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center endorse this statement and share the goal of sending a powerful message about the importance of HPV vaccination for the prevention of HPV-related cancers. HPV vaccination is safe, effective and provides long-lasting protection against HPV-related cancers and other conditions associated with HPV.