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HPV Vaccine Shown To Work Effectively For At Least 8 Years

By Dr. Brian McDonough

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- It's one of those good news-bad news scenarios.

First, the good news about the HPV vaccine is that it works effectively for at least eight years, and the side-effect profile is actually quite good. This is all in the journal Pediatrics.

So, what's the bad news? The bad news is that three doses are necessary for it to have its proper impact, but according to a report in the journal, only about 57 percent of girls are getting the first dose, and only a third are getting all three doses.

As far as boys are concerned, only about 34 percent are getting the first dose, and only 14 percent are getting all three doses.

Now, this is according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's very important that we talk about the importance of the vaccine and getting all three doses because they can help protect against cervical cancer.

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