On Tuesday, August 7th, a recent medical study in the United States determined the effectiveness of quadrivalent human papillomavirus (“HPV”) vaccine in young women up until the age of 20 years old. The young women who participated in the study received all three doses of the quadrivalent HPV shot. It is important to note that the study did not include women ages 21 through 26, however.

The control study was comprised of 25,000 women and published by The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Journal. Throughout the country, the HPV vaccine is highly recommended for young women at ages 11 and 12. The quadrivalent HPV dosage is a ‘catch-up’ vaccine for young women ages 14 through 20 who may have missed an earlier opportunity for the vaccine.

Results revealed that women aged 14 through 20 who had received all three doses of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine had greater protection against CIN2+ and CIN3+ (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia). CIN2+ and CIN3+ is the abnormal growth of cells across the surface of the cervix, of which is a possible precursor to cervical cancer.

Going forward, The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Journal noted that future research still needs to be done on the effectiveness of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine for women ages 21 through 26. Read more for information on HPV vaccine injuries.