Northern Texas Leads Lower HPV Vaccination Rate

Since human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines were first recommended in the United States in 2006, uptake rates increased for most of the years.

Recent data indicates that HPV vaccination rates have recently stalled around 62%, with some states reporting variable rates segmented by urban and rural counties.

According to an Original Investigation published by the JAMA Network Open, northern Texas's counties and health service regions (HSR) have a higher incidence of HPV-related cancers and lower HPV vaccination rates than elsewhere in the state. 

'Some counties and HSRs in west, east, and south Texas are doing well in vaccination coverage, whereas others are lagging,' stated these researchers.

Published on September 5, 2024, this study found that across 254 counties and 8 HSRs in Texas, HPV vaccination series initiation rates, up-to-date status, and the incidence of HPV-related cancer varied widely. 

According to the National Immunization Survey-Teen in 2022, the estimated HPV vaccination coverage among teenagers aged 13 to 17 years in Texas is 58.5%, which ranks Texas 48th in the U.S.

These researchers reported that the mean 2021 to 2022 county-level HPV vaccination series initiation estimates ranged from 6.3% to 69.1% for females and 7.0% to 77.6% for male children and teenagers aged 9 to 17.

Up-to-date estimates of Texas county-level vaccination were generally lower than initiation estimates, ranging from 1.6% to 30.4% for females and 2.1% to 34.8% for male children and teenagers.

This data confirms previous studies' findings that Texas has one of the lowest HPV vaccination rates in the U.S. Other states with lower overall vaccination rates include Mississippi, Alaska, Kentucky, and Oklahoma.

In most cases, HPV goes away on its own and does not cause any health problems, says the Texas Department of State Health Services. But when HPV does not go away, it can lead to serious health problems, including cancer. 

With the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, the cost of HPV vaccinations should not be a concern in Texas or any state. The HPV vaccine is available to all uninsured or underinsured males and females between the ages of 9 and 18 through the Texas VFC program.

The U.S. CDC recently wrote, 'Healthcare providers should make strong recommendations for all routine vaccines and verify that adolescents, particularly those eligible for the VFC program, are up to date with all recommended vaccines.'

In Texas, HPV vaccines are offered at health clinics and pharmacies.