Overview
- The Annals of Internal Medicine study projects that those immunized at ages 12–24 could be screened every 15–25 years, amounting to two or three lifetime tests, with 10-year intervals for vaccination at ages 25–30.
- Extended intervals met standard cost-effectiveness thresholds (≤$55,000 per QALY) across vaccine types and adherence scenarios, with fewer unnecessary procedures such as colposcopies.
- Editorial commentary cautions that tailoring intervals by age at vaccination requires reliable individual vaccination records and organized invitation systems, conditions present in Norway but not widely in the U.S.
- Norway’s high coverage (over 90% in 2021) and existing five-year HPV-based program underpin the model’s applicability there, and the paper was published on February 3.
- Global uptake is shifting prevention policy discussions, with South Africa and India expanding school-based vaccination drives and an estimated 78% of U.S. teens having received at least one dose in 2024.