National Vaccine Advisory Committee An average of 25,900 cases of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers are newly diagnosed in the United States each year. 1,2 An estimated 14 million people are newly infected with HPV each year, and nearly half of these infections occur in people aged 14-25 years. 3 Although most infections resolve over time, persistent infection with oncogenic HPV types is associated with a variety of cancers. Virtually all cervical cancers are caused by HPV, along with 90% of anal, 69% of vaginal, 60% of oropharyngeal, 51% of vulvar, and 40% of penile cancers. 1 Furthermore, 87% of anal, 76% of cervical, 60% of oropharyngeal, 55% of vaginal, 44% of vulva, and 29% of penile cancers are caused by oncogenic HPV type 16 or 18. 4 Of the 35,000 HPV cancers reported in 2009 in the United States, 39% occurred in males. 1 Three HPV vaccines are currently available in the United States. One is a bivalent vaccine (designated as HPV2) designed to protect against HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for the most HPV-associated cancers. One is a quadrivalent vaccine (HPV4), which protects against HPV types 16 and 18 and two additional types, 6 and 11, that are the most common causes of genital warts. One is a nonavalent vaccine (HPV9) that protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18, and offers additional protection against five oncogenic HPV types, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. To prevent cancers associated with HPV infections, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends HPV immunization for all children aged 11 or 12 years with the licensed three-doses series. The ACIP has recommended routine HPV immunization for girls since 2006 and for boys since 2011. 2 Despite ACIP's recommendations, rates of vaccination have remained low. In 2013, initiation rates for the HPV vaccine series were just 57.3% for girls and Public Members
