The American Cancer Society reminds parents that HPV vaccine should be part of the back-to-school routine
Prepping for back-to-school means buying new supplies, clothes, and backpacks, but it's also time to make sure your children are protected from cancer. This fall, the American Cancer Society (ACS) is reminding parents that making sure girls and boys ages 11-12 receive the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine should be part of the back-to-school routine.
Every year in the United States, more than 33,000 men and women are diagnosed with cancers caused by HPV. HPV has been linked to six types of cancer, including cervical cancer and throat cancer. The HPV vaccine can prevent most of these cancers. But vaccination rates remain low; in 2017, only about half (49 percent) of adolescents were up to date on the HPV vaccine.