title: Age at HPV vaccine initiation and completion among US adolescent girls: trend from 2008 to 2012.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the trend of provider-verified HPV vaccine initiation (≥1 dose) and completion (≥3 doses) among adolescent girls at the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended age (11-12 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed National Immunization Survey of Teens 2008-2012 data and examined the trend of provider-verified HPV vaccine initiation and completion among <13 year old girls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data on age at HPV vaccine initiation and completion were available for 24,466 and 15,972 girls, respectively. The weighted proportion of girls who initiated the vaccine at <13 years of age was 14.1%, 24.1%, 35.9%, 47.7% and 55.9% in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively (p for trend <.001). The similar trend was also observed for mean age at HPV vaccine initiation and completion (p<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional efforts are needed to increase HPV vaccine uptake among adolescent girls as only half of them receive this vaccine at ACIP recommended age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States. Electronic address: marahman@utmb.edu.
authors.forename: Mahbubur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Christine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hirth
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Abbey B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Berenson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines
keywords: Adolescent girls; Age at vaccine completion; Age at vaccine initiation; HPV vaccine; Human papillomavirus (HPV)