St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Calls for More HPV Vaccinations

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital issued a joint statement with the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and all National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers urging parents to continue getting their children vaccinated for human papillomavirus (HPV).

“It is back to school time in the U.S. and an ideal time to catch up on any missed vaccines for our children, including the cancer-preventing HPV vaccination, to keep children, schools, and communities protected,” Heather Brandt, PhD, director of the HPV Cancer Prevention Program at St. Jude said in the statement. “Parents should know that recommended vaccinations may be administered at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccination for children 12 and older.”

The HPV vaccine helps prevent several types of cancer and is recommended for individuals to get as early as aged 9 and late as aged 26 years.

The pandemic has caused a gap in all vaccinations, especially for adolescents, according to the CDC.

The number of HPV vaccines are down 18.4%, meningitis vaccines have declined 13.7%, and whooping cough vaccines have fallen 16.7%, according to the statement.

“HPV prevention, screening, and treatment is a major goal of AACI cancer centers,” Jennifer Pegher, AACI’s executive director, said in the statement. “COVID-19 vaccination is a good opportunity for parents to get their children the HPV vaccine and other recommended vaccines.”

Reference

St. Jude and leading cancer centers urge vaccinations to protect against HPV and other diseases. EurekAlert. News release. August 30, 2021. Accessed August 31, 2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/926847