California bill AB659 would require HPV vaccination in children before 8th grade. How effective is the HPV vaccine?
A new law may be passed in California requiring children ages 11 to 13 to be vaccinated against a prevalent sexually transmitted disease that can cause a high risk of cancer later in life.
Existing laws already require documentation of certain vaccinations for diseases deemed appropriate by the State Department of Health for children entering school. Under the Cancer Prevention Act, first introduced in February, full immunization against human papillomavirus (HPV) would be required at the 8th-grade level of public and private schools. A state-mandated local program would be imposed, with local governing authorities notifying the public and parent guardians through a statement regarding the new policy for students entering 6th grade.
HPV is the most common infectious sexually transmitted disease in the United States and is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, according to the National Cancer Institute. Nearly all people will become infected with HPV within months to years of becoming sexually active. The HPV vaccine prevents most cancers caused by various types of infections. Ranging from low to high risk, symptoms can be temporary with no effect on the individual, to life-long symptoms which can result in cancer. The vaccine has been around since 2006 and is typically administered to youth 11 to 12 years old but can be given to those as young as nine. At least two doses of the vaccine are needed to be considered a complete vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
HPV contributes to nearly 38,000 new cancer cases in men and women every year. HPV causes six types of cancer, cervical and rectal being the most common. Even with screening, more than 4,000 women die from cervical cancer every year nationally. For the estimated 200,000 women diagnosed with cervical cancer and precancers, treatment can limit a woman’s ability to have children. The estimates in which HPV is considered to be responsible for these types of cancers are more than 90% of rectal and cervical cancers. That percentage is lower at 70% for vaginal and vulva cancers and 60% for penile cancer.
United States 2023 HPV-related cancer case totals
Bay Area County Cervical Cancer Rates 2015 – 2019
The national average in completing the HPV vaccine series for teens ages 13 to 17 was only 54% in 2019, according to a 2021 report California HPV Vaccination Roundtable report. For California, an estimated 56% of adolescent teens completed the vaccines. The report concludes with concerns over an expected decreasing trend in the following years due to interruptions in care and new telemedicine, hybrid appointment models.
The HPV vaccine will help prevent cancer, said Chief of Pediatrics for Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Dr. Ahmad Bailony in a CBS8 report.
“The evidence is so strong in kids and teenagers that if you get the vaccine and you’re under 15 years old, your body elicits such a strong immune response that you only need two doses ever in your life,” Dr. Bailony said.
Percentage of 13-year-olds who were vaccinated for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in 2019 by Bay Area Counties
All data spreadsheets used to create charts can be found here, along with some additional source materials.
