The HPV vaccine is registered for use in males aged 9–26 years and females aged 9–45 years.
Vaccination is not recommended for everyone older than age 26 years. Some adults ages 27 through 45 years might decide to get the HPV vaccine based on discussion with their clinician, if they did not get adequately vaccinated when they were younger.
The HPV vaccine was originally approved for females ages 9 through 26. Now, men and women up to age 45 can get vaccinated. US health officials have expanded the recommended age range for people receiving the HPV vaccine to protect against several types of cancer to people in their mid-40s.
Males and females ages 9 to 45 can get the vaccine
In fact, patients 15 and older should receive three shots over the course of six months to receive the same benefit. The bottom line: All males and females ages 9–26 should get the HPV vaccine. It is most effective when given at ages 11–12.
Can I get GARDASIL 9 if I already have HPV? Even if you've been infected with one type of HPV, it may not be too late to help protect yourself from certain cancers caused by other types of the virus covered by the vaccine to which you haven't been exposed to yet.
HPV vaccination is not recommended for everyone older than age 26 years. Some adults age 27 through 45 years who were not already vaccinated might choose to get HPV vaccine after speaking with their doctor about their risk for new HPV infections and possible benefits of vaccination for them.
Women older than 26 are legally allowed to get the shot, but it's at their doctor's discretion. Since it's an "off-label" use, health insurance generally won't cover it, and it's costly. Some doctors will agree to provide it, some won't.
ACIP does not recommend HPV vaccination for adults older than age 26 years. ACIP recommends HPV vaccination based on shared clinical decision making for individuals ages 27 through 45 years who are not adequately vaccinated. [1] HPV vaccines are not licensed for use in adults older than age 45 years.
Although the HPV vaccine is approved for people up to 45, the CDC only offers a provisional recommendation for vaccination of women and men over 26. In addition, there has been a global shortage of HPV vaccine that is expected to continue for several years.
Getting the HPV vaccine
The vaccine is offered routinely, through a school-based programme, to all males and females aged 12 to 13 years (school year 9). If you have been eligible for the vaccine but have not received it in school, you can still receive it free of charge until the age of 25, if you ask your doctor.
Gardasil-9 HPV vaccine protects against both genital warts and cancer. Women over 45 years old can benefit from the HPV vaccine because of it: Prevents genital warts in women with few lifetime sexual partners.
Even if you already have one strain of HPV , you could still benefit from the vaccine because it can protect you from other strains that you don't yet have. However, none of the vaccines can treat an existing HPV infection. The vaccines protect you only from specific strains of HPV you haven't been exposed to already.
HPV vaccine is free under the National Immunisation Program through school-based programs for children aged 12-13.
Some people should not get some HPV vaccines if: They have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to any ingredient of an HPV vaccine, or to a previous dose of HPV vaccine. They have an allergy to yeast (Gardasil and Gardasil 9). They are pregnant.
Age restrictions: The HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9) is suitable for children over the age of nine, and women and men up to the age of 45. Additional precautions: Use a condom every time you have sex to reduce the chance of catching HPV as well as other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The vaccine is given as a series of shots: For kids and teens ages 9–14, the HPV vaccine is given in 2 shots over a 6- to 12-month period. For teens and young adults (ages 15–26), it's given in 3 shots over a 6-month period. People with weak immune systems also get 3 shots, including those 9–14 years old.
Most people with HPV do not know they have the infection. They never develop symptoms or health problems from it. Some people find out they have HPV when they get genital warts. Women may find out they have HPV when they get an abnormal Pap test result (during cervical cancer screening).
Gardasil® (Seqirus/Merck & Co Inc) is a quadrivalent VLP HPV vaccine (4vHPV; types 16, 18, 6 and 11) registered in Australia for use in females aged 9–45 years and in males aged 9–26 years.
HPV is now common in women in their 40s
It's becoming more common for women who have been HPV-negative their whole life to acquire the virus in their 40s if they have a new partner, Dr. Zanotti says.
Goodman. “The CDC recommends vaccination for everyone through age 26, if not adequately vaccinated when younger.” The HPV vaccination is given as a series of either two or three doses, depending on the person's age at the initial vaccination. However, people above the age of 26 can get the vaccine.
Part B also covers Human Papillomavirus (HPV) tests (as part of a Pap test) once every 5 years if you're age 30-65 without HPV symptoms. If your doctor or other qualified health care provider accepts assignment, you pay nothing for the following: the lab Pap test. the lab HPV with Pap test.
Catch-up HPV vaccination is now recommended for all persons through age 26 years. For adults aged 27 through 45 years, public health benefit of HPV vaccination in this age range is minimal; shared clinical decision-making is recommended because some persons who are not adequately vaccinated might benefit.
For patients with Medicare coverage, 98.53% of patients paid no out-of-pocket costs for a shot of GARDASIL 9. For those patients who did have out-of-pocket costs, 80% of patients paid between $0.01 and $297.97 for a shot of GARDASIL 9. IQVIA GARDASIL 9 OOP Costs, November 2021.
Anyone who has had sex can get HPV, even if it was only with only one person, but infections are more likely in people who have had many sex partners. Even if a person delays sexual activity until marriage, or only has one partner, they are still at risk of HPV infection if their partner has been exposed.