Vaccine check
HPV vaccine by age: is it recommended, and how many doses?
The HPV vaccine prevents infections with the virus behind most cervical cancers and several other cancers. Whether it is recommended, and how many shots are needed, depends on age. Check where you or your child stand.
About the person getting the vaccine
For anyone, any sex. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
What you will see
Whether the vaccine is routine, catch-up, a shared decision or not licensed at this age, and whether the schedule is 2 or 3 doses.
Educational only, not medical advice. A doctor, nurse or pharmacist can check the vaccine record.
Source
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the CDC vaccine advisory committee: adult HPV vaccination update published in MMWR, August 2019, which also restates the routine and dose schedule advice. Checked against the HHS MyHealthfinder HPV vaccine page (updated May 2026).
Validated in
A national recommendation for everyone in the US aged 9 through 45, regardless of sex. It is not a risk score.
Limits
Does not read your vaccine record or decide whether past doses were spaced correctly. Does not cover vaccine choice, allergies or other reasons not to vaccinate. Recommendations can change; a clinician uses the current CDC schedule.
Who should get the HPV vaccine, by age
| Age | What ACIP recommends |
|---|---|
| 9 to 10 | Can be given starting at age 9 |
| 11 or 12 | Routinely recommended |
| 13 through 26 | Catch-up vaccination for everyone not adequately vaccinated |
| 27 through 45 | Not recommended for everyone; shared clinical decision-making for some adults not adequately vaccinated |
| Over 45 | HPV vaccines are not licensed for this age |
Source: ACIP (ACIP 2019). The HHS MyHealthfinder page gives the same ages: 11 or 12 is the recommended age, children can get it as early as 9, everyone can get it through age 26, and some adults aged 27 to 45 may decide to get it after talking with their doctor (MyHealthfinder).
How many doses
| First dose | Doses | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Before the 15th birthday | 2 | 0, then 6 to 12 months later |
| On or after the 15th birthday | 3 | 0, 1 to 2 months, 6 months |
| Certain immunocompromising conditions, any age | 3 | 0, 1 to 2 months, 6 months |
Source: ACIP (ACIP 2019), which keeps the dose schedules set in 2016 (ACIP 2016). MyHealthfinder also lists 2 doses 6 to 12 months apart for children who start before 15, and 3 doses over 6 months for teens and adults who start later (MyHealthfinder).
Why the age matters
HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection, and new infections usually happen soon after a person first becomes sexually active. The vaccine works best before any exposure to HPV, which is why early adolescence is the focus. It prevents new infections; it does not treat an existing infection or HPV-related disease (ACIP 2019).
For adults 27 through 45, ACIP found the vaccine safe but expected little benefit across the population, because most sexually active adults have already been exposed to some HPV types. Some adults could still benefit, for example after a new sex partner. People in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship are not likely to get a new HPV infection (ACIP 2019).
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
HPV vaccination should wait until after pregnancy, but a pregnancy test is not needed before the shot. People who are breastfeeding can get the vaccine (ACIP 2019).
Common questions
Is the HPV vaccine only for girls?
No. Since 2019 the catch-up recommendation through age 26 has been the same for everyone, and the routine age of 11 or 12 applies to all children (ACIP 2019).
Do I need an HPV test or Pap test before the vaccine?
No prevaccination testing is recommended. There is also no clinical antibody test that shows whether someone is already immune to a given HPV type (ACIP 2019).
If I had the vaccine, do I still need cervical screening?
Yes. ACIP says cervical cancer screening guidelines should still be followed (ACIP 2019). See the cervical cancer screening age check.
Which cancers does HPV cause?
Long-lasting infections with high-risk HPV types can lead to cervical, anal, penile, vaginal, vulvar and oropharyngeal (back of the throat) cancers, usually after several decades (ACIP 2019). Mouth and throat checks are covered in the oral cancer screening check.
Also see which cancer check fits you and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- Meites E, Szilagyi PG, Chesson HW, Unger ER, Romero JR, Markowitz LE. Human Papillomavirus Vaccination for Adults: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019;68(32):698-702. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6832a3. PMCID PMC6818701. CDC, public domain. Recommendations, Box and footnotes (ages, dose schedules, pregnancy). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6818701/
- Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and Human Services. Get Your Child the HPV Vaccine (MyHealthfinder). Adapted from CDC materials. Content last updated May 5, 2026. odphp.health.gov/myhealthfinder/doctor-visits/vaccines-shots/get-your-child-hpv-vaccine
- Meites E, Kempe A, Markowitz LE. Use of a 2-Dose Schedule for Human Papillomavirus Vaccination: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(49):1405-1408. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6549a5. Cited by name only; the dose schedule on our pages is quoted from the 2019 ACIP report. doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6549a5
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-11-04. Spotted an error? See About.