ACIP: Men as Old as 26 Should Get HPV Vaccine

The recommended maximum age for male HPV vaccination should be raised from 21 to 26 years, a U.S. government advisory group said.

The decision Wednesday by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) would make the age recommendation the same for both men and women, the Associated Press reported.

While the HPV vaccine is typically given to 11- and 12-year-olds, women as old as 26 years have also been advised to receive a "catch-up" vaccine if they had missed the vaccine as young girls. Because studies have shown that men tend to be exposed to HPV earlier in life than women, the advisory had been that men receive a "catch-up shot" by age 21 years. But ACIP said it was now equalizing the age recommendations at 26 years to make it easier for physicians.

The committee's recommendations are almost always followed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In another move, the panel said it was no longer advising that healthy Americans aged 65 years and older routinely receive the Prevnar 13 vaccination. The move comes after evidence that campaigns to reduce the spread of the bacteria among children have also resulted in many fewer cases among older Americans. A 2014 advisory to vaccinate seniors also seemed to confer no added benefit, the ACIP said. The panel voted that decisions on whether American seniors receive the Prevnar 13 vaccination be made on an individual basis after discussion between doctors and patients.

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