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HPV Vaccine Dosing

The HPV vaccine dosing guidelines are the same for everyone, regardless of age or weight. The vaccination is a series of three injections given over the course of six months. Your healthcare provider can give you the HPV vaccine in the muscle of your upper arm or upper thigh. In order for the HPV vaccine to work properly, you have to receive all three injections.

 

An Overview of HPV Vaccine Dosing

There is only one dose of Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) Recombinant Vaccine (Gardasil®) for girls and women age 9 to 26, regardless of weight or age. The HPV vaccine is given as a series of three injections:
 
  • First injection: at any time
  • Second injection: two months after the first dose
  • Third injection: six months after the first dose.
     

General HPV Vaccine Dosage Information

Some considerations for people taking the HPV vaccine include:
 
  • The HPV vaccine is given as an injection into the muscle in your upper arm or upper thigh. Your healthcare provider will give you the HPV vaccine injections.
     
  • If you are late for an HPV vaccine injection, call your healthcare provider to schedule your next injection as soon as you remember. You do not need to "start over" with the three-injection series if you are late for an HPV vaccine injection.
     
  • Your healthcare provider might want to wait until later to give you an HPV vaccine injection if you are ill. However, you can still get an HPV vaccine injection if you have a mild fever or a mild upper respiratory infection (such as a cold).
     
  • For the HPV vaccine to work properly, you have to get all three injections. The HPV vaccine will not work as well if you do not get all three injections.
     
  • If you are unsure about anything related to the HPV vaccine, please talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;