Most who start the HPV vaccine don’t finish it

New research indicates the HPV vaccine isn’t reaching its potential — simply because users aren’t getting the full regimen of shots. About 70% of women who start the vaccines don’t finish them. The vaccine must be administered in three shots spread out over several weeks in order to achieve full immunity. Worse, only about 25% of eligible young women even start the series. The HPV vaccines protect against genital warts, as well as some cancers.

Interestingly, the youngest women in the study group, those under 18, were most likely to get the full vaccine course. Researchers theorize that older women may end up skipping appointments as they move between home and school, meet work commitments, etc.

The research was presented at the Ninth Annual AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference.