Vaccination coverage generally stable for VFC-eligible adolescents during COVID-19 except for decline in those up to date with HPV
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Aug. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — In 2023, vaccination coverage for adolescents with all routine vaccines was similar to coverage in 2022, according to research published in the Aug. 22 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Cassandra Pingali, M.P.H., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from the 2023 National Immunization Survey-Teen for 16,658 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years to examine vaccination coverage in 2023, recent trends in coverage by birth year, and trends in coverage by Vaccine for Children (VFC) program eligibility.
The researchers found that coverage with all routine vaccines recommended for adolescents was similar in 2023 and 2022. Among VFC-eligible adolescents, vaccination coverage was generally stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, except for a decrease in the percentage who were up to date with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination by age 13 years among those born in 2010 versus 2007. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were differences in coverage between VFC-eligible and non-VFC-eligible adolescents, but in the most recent birth years in the survey, coverage was similar.
“Health care providers should strongly recommend all routine vaccines and confirm adolescents are fully vaccinated,” the authors write. “Parents of adolescents should schedule a well-child visit as the school year begins to verify that adolescents receive all recommended vaccines, such as the HPV vaccine, which prevents 92 percent of HPV-attributable cancers.”
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