HPV Vaccine Linked to 68% Fewer Head and Neck Cancers at Ages 9-26
Updated
Updated · Medical Daily · Aug 24
HPV Vaccine Linked to 68% Fewer Head and Neck Cancers at Ages 9-26
1 articles · Updated · Medical Daily · Aug 24
Summary
A 1.4 million-record analysis found people vaccinated against HPV at ages 9-26 were 68% less likely to be diagnosed with head and neck cancer, with oropharyngeal cancers 91% less common.
The study compared HPV recipients with people vaccinated against other diseases across 66 U.S. health care organizations, covering vaccinations from 2011 to 2024.
Only 40 cancers occurred in the vaccinated group versus 130 in the comparison group, and follow-up lasted up to 13 years—limits that make the exact size of the benefit uncertain.
No statistically significant reduction appeared for adults vaccinated at 27-45, likely because many had already been exposed to HPV before immunization.
The findings do not change guidance: routine HPV vaccination is still advised at 11-12, can start at 9, with catch-up doses recommended through age 26.