"HPV Vaccine Age Unified to 9-14 Years, 2 Doses Recommended"... KDCA Revises Vaccination Guidelines

Vaccine vaccination image. Not directly related to the article content.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on the 26th that it will revise and distribute the "Standards and Methods for Vaccination" guideline, which is provided to healthcare professionals responsible for infectious disease vaccination and treatment, for the first time in six years. The revised edition includes the principles and general guidelines of vaccination, as well as the latest epidemiological, diagnostic, and treatment information and vaccination standards for 25 infectious diseases subject to vaccination, including COVID-19.

The revised edition includes a unified vaccination standard for HPV2, HPV4, and HPV9 vaccines to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, the main cause of cervical cancer, regardless of the vaccine type: the initial vaccination age is set at 9 to 14 years old, with two doses required. The second dose should be administered 6 to 12 months after the first dose, but the interval between the first and second doses can be shortened to 5 months depending on circumstances.

For adults, it was changed to allow additional vaccination every 10 years with Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) vaccine in addition to Td. Pregnant women are also recommended to receive the Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy between 27 and 36 weeks of gestation.

Additionally, new content was added regarding COVID-19, shingles, and vaccinations in special situations (chronic disease patients, immunocompromised individuals), considering disease burden and the necessity of vaccination.

The guidelines are scheduled to be distributed next month to 27,820 locations nationwide, including public health centers and other medical institutions conducting vaccinations, related academic and professional associations, and medical school libraries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.