The prevalence of quadrivalent human papillomavirus (4vHPV) decreased by two-thirds in females aged 14 to 19 years and by a third among those aged 20 to 24 years within 6 years of introduction of the HPV vaccine, according to research published in Pediatrics.
Lauri E. Markowitz, MD, team leader of Epidemiology Research in the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC, and colleagues analyzed the prevalence of HPV DNA in cervicovaginal specimens collected from females 14 to 34 years of age, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHNES). NHNES survey data – from 2,061 females collected between 2009 and 2012 – were compared with data from 2,587 females collected during the pre-vaccine era (2003-2006).
Between the pre-vaccine and vaccine eras, the prevalence of 4vHPV declined from 11.5% to 4.3% among females 14 to 19 years of age, and from 18.5% to 12.1% among females 20 to 24 years of age. Since 2009, the prevalence of 4vHPV among sexually active females 14 to 24 years of age is lower among vaccinated females (2.1%) who received at least one dose, compared with unvaccinated females (16.9%). No 4vHPV decrease was noted in older age groups.
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Overall, researchers found a 64% decrease in prevalence of 4vHPV in females 14 to 19 years of age and a 34% decrease in females 20 to 24 years of age, indicating an 89% efficacy rate in preventing 4vHPV.
“This finding extends previous observations of population impact in the United States and demonstrates the first national evidence of impact among females in their 20s,” wrote Dr Markowitz and colleagues.
References
- Markowitz LE, Liu G, Hariri S, et al. Prevalence of HPV after introduction of the vaccination program in the United States. Pediatrics. 2016;137(3). doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-1968
- Kemp C. Study looks at HPV prevalence since introduction of vaccine [news release]. Elk Grove, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; AAP News. Published February 23, 2016. Accessed February 23, 2016.
