If your son will be getting his first dose of HPV vaccine at age 11, he needs only two doses total of HPV vaccine given six to 12 months apart for long-lasting protection against HPV cancers. He should get the first dose as soon as possible and his second dose within six to 12 months of the first dose.
If your son has already received one or two doses of HPV vaccine, follow the guidelines below to determine how many doses he still needs:
If your son has received one dose of HPV vaccine, he should get the second dose six to 12 months after he received the first dose to complete the series.
If your son has already received two doses of HPV vaccine
And they were given at least five months apart---The series is complete! He does not need a third dose…not even if the second dose was given a long time after the first.
And they were given less than five months apart---He needs the third dose to complete the series. He should get the third dose six months after the first dose.
CDC now routinely recommends a two-dose HPV vaccine schedule for 11- or 12-year-old boys and girls to prevent HPV cancers.
Children ages 9–10 and 13–14 are also able to receive HPV vaccination on the two-dose schedule.
Teens and young adults who start the series at ages 15 through 26 need three doses of HPV vaccine.
For people aged 9–26 years with certain immunocompromising conditions three doses are still recommended.
Additional Information & Resources: