Best Schedule for Gardasil Vaccine?

[elbenn]

I see the guidelines are first dose at 11-12 years old and second dose 6 months later. However, my doctor says that they can do the doses anytime before they are age 15. Does it have to do with puberty?

Anyway, I am curious what people on this board have done or decided that they will do as to the schedule for this vaccine. Thanks!

[SnuggleBuggles]

You want to catch them before they become sexually active so that’s why the rec is so early. While I could be wrong, I wasn’t concerned about ds1 at 11, 12, 13...but if you wait til they turn 16 then they need more doses.


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[georgiegirl]

DD turns 14 in two weeks. We haven’t started yet. DH (a physician) and I decided to delay a couple of years because we wanted her to have coverage for as long as possible. We will probably start the vaccine series this summer. She has zero interest in boys (thankfully), and we want the vaccine to be effective well into her 20s, when she will probably have the highest risk of getting HPV.

DH is an oncologist, so he’s very well informed on the topic. He treats women with cervical cancer and men with oral cancers from HPV on a daily basis. So our decision to delay isn’t something he randomly came up with. He thinks it’s is MORE important for boys to get the vaccine than girls (because of early detection in the form of Pap smears for girls). I assume we will delay for our boys as well. DS1 is 10.5, and he’s tiny (growth hormone deficient), and he’s nowhere near puberty (his bone age is 2 years delayed, so he won’t start puberty until 14+). DS2 is only 6, so we have a long time to decide. And by then, I assume there will be studies about the long term efficacy of the vaccine.


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[gatorsmom]

DD turns 14 in two weeks. We haven’t started yet. DH (a physician) and I decided to delay a couple of years because we wanted her to have coverage for as long as possible. We will probably start the vaccine series this summer. She has zero interest in boys (thankfully), and we want the vaccine to be effective well into her 20s, when she will probably have the highest risk of getting HPV.


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This is what we did with DS1. I talked it over with our pediatrician and she’s fine with it. Ds1 got his first vaccine 6months before the cutoff requiring a third shot. Ds2 turns 15 in 4 months and has his well visit scheduled in April. He will probably get his first shot then.

[Kindra178]

We did 12 and 13.


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[MSWR0319]

DD turns 14 in two weeks. We haven’t started yet. DH (a physician) and I decided to delay a couple of years because we wanted her to have coverage for as long as possible. We will probably start the vaccine series this summer. She has zero interest in boys (thankfully), and we want the vaccine to be effective well into her 20s, when she will probably have the highest risk of getting HPV.

DH is an oncologist, so he’s very well informed on the topic. He treats women with cervical cancer and men with oral cancers from HPV on a daily basis. So our decision to delay isn’t something he randomly came up with. He thinks it’s is MORE important for boys to get the vaccine than girls (because of early detection in the form of Pap smears for girls). I assume we will delay for our boys as well. DS1 is 10.5, and he’s tiny (growth hormone deficient), and he’s nowhere near puberty (his bone age is 2 years delayed, so he won’t start puberty until 14+). DS2 is only 6, so we have a long time to decide. And by then, I assume there will be studies about the long term efficacy of the vaccine.


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Thank you for sharing!! I have been putting of DS getting his and couldn't decide at what point to start his first one. Our ped was ok delaying as long as we started before the cutoff.

[wendibird22]

DD1 is 12. We did the 2 doses this year.

[elbenn]

We did 12 and 13.


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Do you mean you waited one year between the doses or are these for different kids?

I pretty much was thinking along the same lines as most responses here--do it while they still only need 2 doses but do a little later than the recommended age of 11. However, just quick research on it makes it sound like the vaccine is actually more effective if given at a younger age, which is why I was curious what the very informed people on this board were doing.

[ged]

Can someone clarify the cut-off age? DD1 turns 15 in a few days has not had any of the shots. Thanks.

[westwoodmom04]

Our pediatrician administers first dose at 13 year old well child so we follow that schedule.

[o_mom]

Can someone clarify the cut-off age? DD1 turns 15 in a few days has not had any of the shots. Thanks.

The package insert says that you can do 2 doses if they are under 15, 3 doses if 15 or older. It is not clear (from the PI) if that means they can do 2 if the first is under 15, or if both have to be before 15.

[ett]

DS2 just had first dose at his 13yo physical. He will get the second dose at his physical next year. DS1 got his first dose when he was 14 and his second dose just after he turned 15.

[mom2binsd]

Can someone clarify the cut-off age? DD1 turns 15 in a few days has not had any of the shots. Thanks.At 15 she is not past the age at all to begin the shots.

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[doberbrat]

dd1 had her first after she turned 14. - if they have the first before turning 15, they only need 2. Afterwards, they can still get the shot but need 3.

[dogmom]

I guess not clear what is the advantage or waiting? I can’t find any studies that says waiting confers more protection, in fact it appears to be the opposite since there is a clear positive impact to starting before sexual activity. It’s a moot point for me, my 13 and 17 are done with them.

[mom2binsd]

I think some people were thinking delay it and it will last longer and be most effective when they are sexually active (which we all love to think about [emoji15]).

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[Kindra178]

Do you mean you waited one year between the doses or are these for different kids?

I pretty much was thinking along the same lines as most responses here--do it while they still only need 2 doses but do a little later than the recommended age of 11. However, just quick research on it makes it sound like the vaccine is actually more effective if given at a younger age, which is why I was curious what the very informed people on this board were doing.

Sorry! My teen got vax 1 at age 12 and vax 2 at age 13. No issues.


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[georgiegirl]

I guess not clear what is the advantage or waiting? I can’t find any studies that says waiting confers more protection, in fact it appears to be the opposite since there is a clear positive impact to starting before sexual activity. It’s a moot point for me, my 13 and 17 are done with them.

Have there been any long term studies on the efficacy 15 years in the future? That’s what DH is most concerned about. He’d rather have efficacy from 25-29 than 11-15.


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[jent]

Have there been any long term studies on the efficacy 15 years in the future? That’s what DH is most concerned about. He’d rather have efficacy from 25-29 than 11-15.


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From the CDC "Duration of protection. Through 10 years of follow-up from clinical trials, no evidence of waning protection after a 3-dose series of HPV vaccine has been found (1). Because antibody kinetics are similar with 2-dose and 3-dose series, duration of protection is also expected to be long-lasting after a 2-dose series (12,13)."

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6549a5.htm

[ang79]

DD1 got her first dose at her 13 year well visit. I was on the fence and considering waiting til next year, but the nurse made a good point about not all sexual contact being consensual. Since DD1 is now in middle school and doing a lot more activities and having more independence (after school spots practices, riding on the bus to/from meets, youth group retreats, etc.), I figured that could be a concern so we went ahead and got it. I'll probably do the same age for DD2.

[westwoodmom04]

From the CDC "Duration of protection. Through 10 years of follow-up from clinical trials, no evidence of waning protection after a 3-dose series of HPV vaccine has been found (1). Because antibody kinetics are similar with 2-dose and 3-dose series, duration of protection is also expected to be long-lasting after a 2-dose series (12,13)."

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6549a5.htm

I’ve seen a similar study at 12 years out. I would expect that if they found it was losing effectiveness, they would just add a booster.