The impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is increasing in the United States, with evidence of herd protection, according to a study published online May 17 in the Annals of Internal Medicine .

Hannah G. Rosenblum, M.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues estimated vaccine impact and effectiveness against quadrivalent HPV vaccine (4vHPV)-type prevalent infection among sexually experienced U.S. females and vaccine effectiveness among sexually experienced U.S. males using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2003 to 2006 (prevaccine era) and in 2007 to 2010, 2011 to 2014, and 2015 to 2018 (vaccine eras). Cervicovaginal and penile specimens were tested for HPV DNA; the prevalence rates of 4vHPV and non-4vHPV types were estimated for females in each era and for males in 2013 to 2016.

The researchers found that the impact on 4vHPV-type prevalence in 2015 to 2018 was 85 percent overall among sexually experienced females aged 14 to 24 years, and the impact was 90 and 74 percent among vaccinated and unvaccinated females, respectively. There were no significant decreases seen in non-4vHPV-type prevalence. During the vaccine eras, vaccine effectiveness varied from 60 to 84 percent for females and was 51 percent for males during 2013 to 2016.

"The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted immunization programs worldwide," the authors write. "Data from the United States indicate that the pandemic may reverse trends of increasing HPV vaccination coverage."

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