MADISON, Wis. – Twenty years ago, on June 8, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved the human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccine to prevent cancer, marking one of the most important advances in public health over the past two decades.

The virus can cause warts and is transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact. The human body can fight off many HPV infections on its own, but some infections can go on to cause head and neck cancers, cervical cancer and other genital cancers, such as anal and vaginal cancers, according to Dr. Megan Yanny, pediatrician, UW Health Kids.

Approximately 42 million Americans are infected with HPV, with about 13 million new infections occur annually. Each year, HPV causes about 36,000 cancer cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When the vaccine was first introduced, it was effective against four strains of the virus. In 2014, it was expanded to include nine strains that account for approximately 90% of HPV-causing cancers worldwide. The HPV vaccine series is offered to all children starting at age 9, and people can get it up to age 45 in consultation with their provider. The vaccine series is two doses if started between the ages of 9 and 14. For older adolescents and adults, the original three-dose series is used for optimal protection, she said.

“The HPV vaccine was a groundbreaking discovery and invention — having a vaccine that prevents cancer is truly life-altering,” said Yanny, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Nationally, the incidence of HPV lesions, including precancerous cervical lesions detected through screening in young women, has decreased by nearly 80% since 2008, and mortality from HPV-related cancers has also dropped significantly.”

The HPV vaccine is safe and effective, but misconceptions and a lack of general awareness persist. Because HPV is sexually transmitted, some think it might encourage earlier sexual activity, but that is not true, based on extensive studies, she said.

“We want to protect kids from preventable cancers. We give the vaccine starting at age 9, when the risk of exposure is low, so kids are protected before sexual activity begins,” she said. “We know many teenagers and young adults are already sexually active when we see them, so we want to protect them early.”

When it was originally approved, it was given only to girls ages 9 to 26 because the strains were known to cause cervical cancer. Recommendations changed three years later to offer the vaccination to boys because health experts now understand anyone can be affected by HPV-related cancers, according to Yanny.

The national rates of HPV vaccination coverage remained stable for the third consecutive year, with approximately 80% of adolescents having received more than one dose and approximately 60% up to date with the HPV vaccination series, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2025, Wisconsin was below the national average for rates of vaccination, with about 53% of 13 to 18-year-olds having completed the HPV series. About 65% of teens ages 13 to 18 have received one dose, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

In Illinois, 70% of adolescents have completed the series, while 80% have gotten at least one dose, according to the latest data from the Illinois chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“The conversations about this vaccine begin in the pediatrician’s office, and we want all families to have the most accurate information,” Yanny said. “We encourage vaccination for all kids because this is an incredible tool to keep them healthy.”

While the conversations start in the pediatrician’s office, cancer doctors are also witnessing the remarkable impact of this vaccine.

The vaccine is saving lives, preventing suffering and dramatically reducing cervical cancer for future generations, according to Dr. Kristen Stearns, a gynecological oncologist at UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center Rockford who cares for cervical cancer patients.

“This devastating disease requires aggressive treatment and can profoundly affect fertility, bodily function and long-term quality of life,” said Stearns, a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “We are now seeing meaningful declines in HPV infections, precancerous cervical disease and cervical cancer as a direct result of vaccination.”