HPV vaccination is recommended for preteen girls and boys at age 11 or 12 years. All preteens need HPV vaccination so they can be protected from HPV infections that cause cancer.

• Teens and young adults who didn’t start or finish the HPV vaccine series also need HPV vaccination.
• Teens and young women can get HPV vaccine until they are 27 years old and young men should get HPV vaccine until they are 22 years old.
• Teens and young men who have sex with other men or who have weakened immune systems should get HPV vaccine until they are 27.
• Transgender individuals should also get HPV vaccine until they are 27.

CDC recommends that 11- to 12-year-olds receive two doses of HPV vaccine at least six months apart to protect against cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.

• The first dose is routinely recommended at 11-12 years old.
• The second dose of the vaccine should be administered 6 to 12 months after the first dose.
• Vaccination with the two-dose series can be started at age 9 and through age 14.

Teens and young adults who start the series later, at ages 15 through 26 years, need three doses of HPV vaccine to protect against cancer-causing HPV infection.

• Adolescents aged 9 through 14 years who have already received two doses of HPV vaccine less than 5 months apart, will require a third dose.
• Three doses are recommended for people with weakened immune systems aged 9-26 years.

Tell your doctor about any severe allergies. Some people should not get some HPV vaccines, including:

• People who have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to any ingredient of an HPV vaccine, or to a previous dose of HPV vaccine.
• People who have an allergy to yeast (Gardasil and Gardasil 9).

HPV vaccines are safe for children who are mildly ill – for example, with a low-grade fever of less than 101 degrees, a cold, runny nose, or cough. People with a moderate or severe illness should wait until they are better.

• Since the vaccine was first recommended in 2006, there has been a significant reduction in HPV infections.
• Research has also shown that fewer teens and young adults are getting genital warts.
• In other countries such as Australia where there is higher HPV vaccination coverage, HPV vaccine has also reduced the number of cases of precancers of the cervix in young women in that country.
• Also, genital warts have decreased dramatically in young adults in Australia since the HPV vaccine was introduced.

• 10 years of data show that HPV vaccination provides long-lasting protection.
• There is no evidence to suggest that HPV vaccine loses the ability to provide protection over time.

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. Many people who get HPV vaccine have no side effects at all. Some people report having very mild side effects, like a sore arm from the shot.

The most common side effects of HPV vaccine are usually mild, and include:

• Pain, redness, or swelling in the arm where the shot was given
• Fever
• Headache or feeling tired
• Nausea
• Muscle or joint pain

Brief fainting spells and related symptoms (such as jerking movements) can happen after any medical procedure, including vaccination. Sitting or lying down when getting a shot and staying in that position for about 15 minutes after a vaccination can help prevent fainting and injuries caused by falls.

On very rare occasions, severe (anaphylactic) allergic reactions may occur after vaccination. People with severe allergies to any component of a vaccine should not receive that vaccine.