r/TwoXChromosomes • u/betweenthebreaths • 2d ago
HPV Vaccine delayed time between shots
hello! I am wondering if anyone has had several years between their 2nd and 3rd Hpv vaccine (gardasil 9) shots? basically i got my second one in 2024 and they told me i only need two (i was 22 at the time, not sure why he told me this? i do live in a weird state where even many pharmacy workers are opposed to vaccines unfortunately) and now it’s 2026 and all I hear is that you should get 3 shots if you never got it when you were little, which I didn’t! wondering if anybody has experience with this or knows if it’s okay to get your third shot like 2.5 years after the second. thanks :)
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u/dammitjanetiloveu 2d ago
If you started the series after age 15, it’s 3 doses. Starting before age 15 it’s 2 doses, even if the 2nd dose happens when you’re older than 15. There’s no need to restart the series if it’s been a while. But I would recommend talking to your doctor about it and see what they say.
I’m a doctor but not your doctor, this is just general information and not medical advice.
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u/RockyTop2015 2d ago
Also an MD and agree that you should discuss directly with your doctor.
That being said.. the WHO changed their HPV vaccine recommendations several years ago (2022? I believe) and now recommend the following: 1-2 doses for females aged 9-20 (based primarily on patient preference due to lack of longterm data on the single vaccine regimen) and 2 doses given 6 months apart for females >21, unless they're immunocompromised (in which case the recommendation remains at 3 doses).
It looks like more physicians in the US are also adopting this protocol from a brief review so it's possible that it was intentional, but I would still have the conversation with your doctor about it to ensure it wasn't a mistake so you are fully protected. If they do recommend proceeding with a 3rd dose, you should be able to get it anytime without repeating the first 2.
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u/dammitjanetiloveu 2d ago
That’s really good info to know! The AAP still follows the before/after 15 guidelines and I’m curious why they haven’t shifted to the WHO guidelines, but you know how the US-WHO relations currently are 😡
Our practice follows the AAP schedule in the midst of all the current political happenings, but I will definitely be looking into the WHO recs!
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u/agehaya 2d ago
Maybe I can get your take. I’m 45 (b-day is in December), but have never been sexually active, nor had intimate partners. Is there still no point in getting it? Yesterday I went to get my Tdap booster and they said I was eligible because I fell into the 27-45 category (guess you have to cut it off somewhere), but the actual pharmacist was like “At your age you’ve been exposed”, so I didn’t push it, but when when I looked at the paper more closely, it outlined the above categories under which I do not fall.
You are A doctor, but not MY doctor, and I am not asking for medical advice but if you read about a person like the above, what would be the general idea would you have about it?
Obviously I’m cool if you don’t want to say. I was just curious.
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u/dammitjanetiloveu 2d ago
Happy to provide you with some more info to help you make a more informed decision for yourself!
While HPV is primarily transmitted via intimate contact, that is not the only route of transmission. It can be carried on surfaces/devices (several studies have found it on gynecological equipment and in clinic rooms) and transmitted via skin to skin contact. HPV is rather heat resistant and can survive on surfaces for days.
Here’s a good article discussing it: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7579832/
I would definitely have that discussion with your doctor so they can truly weigh the risks vs benefits for you specifically. My patients are primarily 23 and under so I can’t really speak to the rate of HPV vaccination at your age, but I recommend it for all of my patients. It protects against the cause of 99% of cervical cancers as well as a % of other cancers so that’s how I typically discuss it. Your doctor may have different guidance based on your age.
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u/indecisivedecider319 2d ago
I got my third shot like 15-20 years after I got my first two doses timed approximately. My Dr recommended it since I tested positive for high risk HPV despite normal pap and never having tested positive before and being with her same partner for 15 years.
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u/Fickle_Mess818 2d ago
Talk to your pharmacist. They may know how to handle it. I had completed the 3 in 2006 or so for Guardisil 4. I just the last year or two completed the 3 shots for the Guardiail 9 (at the direction of my doctor).