--- title: More Teenagers Are Getting the HPV Vaccine, CDC Says description: New data from the CDC says HPV vaccination rates are increasing among teenagers. More teenagers are starting and finishing the HPV vaccine. canonical: https://time.com/5376292/hpv-vaccination-increasing/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-08-23T19:41:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:14:24.778Z article:section: Health og:title: More Teenagers Than Ever Are Getting the HPV Vaccine, CDC Says og:description: But there's still a ways to go og:url: https://time.com/5376292/hpv-vaccination-increasing/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc37db0b2b13ef4d8/69893883db29871f2b2607f3/hpv-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: HPV Vaccines In Corpus Christi Texas og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: More Teenagers Than Ever Are Getting the HPV Vaccine, CDC Says twitter:description: But there's still a ways to go twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc37db0b2b13ef4d8/69893883db29871f2b2607f3/hpv-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # More Teenagers Than Ever Are Getting the HPV Vaccine, CDC Says > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=12690611-f731-4ce5-85cb-e7bf3af10020&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=12690611-f731-4ce5-85cb-e7bf3af10020&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=12690611-f731-4ce5-85cb-e7bf3af10020&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=12690611-f731-4ce5-85cb-e7bf3af10020&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Aug 23, 2018 7:41 PM UTC  A medical assistant fills a needle with the drug Gardasil, used for HPV vaccinations, at Amistad Community Health Center in Corpus Christi, Texas on Friday May 27, 2016. A medical assistant fills a needle with the drug Gardasil, used for HPV vaccinations, at Amistad Community Health Center in Corpus Christi, Texas on Friday May 27, 2016. The Washington Post—The Washington Post/Getty Images  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Aug 23, 2018 7:41 PM UTC More teenagers than ever before are getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), [according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6733a1.htm?s%5Fcid=mm6733a1%5Fw) (CDC). Federal guidelines now say that all children should start two-dose HPV vaccination at age 11 or 12 to protect against HPV-associated cervical, vaginal, penile, anal and throat cancers. Despite that recommendation, however, HPV vaccination rates have [traditionally lagged far below their targets](http://time.com/3979160/teens-not-getting-hpv-vaccine/). That’s still true — but the new report does suggest that rates are rising. Between 2016 and 2017, the CDC says, the percentage of teenagers who reported getting at least one dose of the HPV vaccine increased from 60.4% to 65.5%. Meanwhile, the percentage of teens who reported being up to date with the entire vaccine series rose from 43.4% to 48.6%, according to responses to the 2017 National Immunization Survey—Teen, which includes data from almost 21,000 U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17. While HPV coverage has a ways to go before it matches vaccination rates for diseases including meningitis and tetanus, the report notes that HPV vaccination is becoming more standard with time. For example, among adolescents surveyed from 2016 to 2017, 56.3% of those born in 2004 reported starting the HPV vaccine by age 13, compared to only 19.6% of those born in 1998\. Similarly, 29.8% of those born in 2004 reported finishing the vaccine course by age 13, compared to only 7.7% of those born in 1998. While there’s still work to be done, [particularly among boys](http://time.com/5217154/boys-hpv-vaccine-rates/), the report says that these increases suggest that efforts to improve education around the HPV vaccine and cancer prevention are working. And the effects of those upticks may already be beginning to emerge. [Separate new data](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6733a2.htm?s%5Fcid=mm6733a2%5Fw) from the CDC shows that rates of cervical cancer — which is overwhelmingly caused by HPV — dropped by 1.6% each year between 1999 and 2015\. (HPV-associated oral, anal and vulvar cancers, however, increased during this time period, pointing to both changing sexual behaviors and the need for better screening standards.) While the drop in cervical cancer cases is likely due in large part to [better screening practices](http://time.com/5373680/cervical-cancer-screening-guidelines/), the authors note that “[studies have reported reductions in cervical HPV infection](http://time.com/4231348/hpv-vaccine-lowers-infection-rates/), genital warts, and cervical precancers” associated with HPV vaccination. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5376292/hpv-vaccination-increasing/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5376292/hpv-vaccination-increasing/"},"headline":"More Teenagers Than Ever Are Getting the HPV Vaccine, CDC Says","datePublished":"2018-08-23T19:41:17.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T21:14:24.778Z","description":"But there's still a ways to go","url":"https://time.com/5376292/hpv-vaccination-increasing/","keywords":["Public Health","onetime","healthytime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc37db0b2b13ef4d8/69893883db29871f2b2607f3/hpv-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Ducharme","jobTitle":"Ducharme is a contributor to TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc37db0b2b13ef4d8/69893883db29871f2b2607f3/hpv-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"HPV Vaccines In Corpus Christi Texas","caption":"HPV Vaccines In Corpus Christi Texas","creditText":"The Washington Post—The Washington Post/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/public-health/","name":"Public Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5376292/hpv-vaccination-increasing/","name":"More Teenagers Than Ever Are Getting the HPV Vaccine, CDC Says"}}]}] ```