Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics
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Hum Vaccin Immunother · Aug 2013
HPV vaccination coverage among women aged 18-20 years in Germany three years after recommendation of HPV vaccination for adolescent girls: results from a cross-sectional survey.
Routine immunization of adolescent girls aged 12-17 y against human papillomavirus (HPV) was recommended in Germany in March 2007. We aimed to assess HPV-vaccine uptake and knowledge about post-vaccination cervical cancer screening and condom use in women aged 18-20 years, three years after adoption of HPV-vaccination into the routine vaccination schedule. ⋯ HPV-vaccination coverage is low in Germany. The results indicate that there is an urgent need for the implementation of a coordinated adolescent vaccination program to facilitate access to vaccination, including balanced information tailored to this age group. Otherwise, the HPV-vaccination effort will fall short of reaching its maximum public health benefit.