{"id":24995,"date":"2026-08-13T11:52:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T15:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/?p=24995"},"modified":"2026-08-13T11:52:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T15:52:30","slug":"richmond-and-henrico-health-districts-encourage-young-adults-to-catch-up-on-hpv-vaccination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2026\/08\/13\/richmond-and-henrico-health-districts-encourage-young-adults-to-catch-up-on-hpv-vaccination\/","title":{"rendered":"Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Encourage Young Adults to Catch Up on HPV Vaccination"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 13, 2026<br \/>\nMedia Contact: Bryan Hooten, 804-807-1727, bryan.hooten@vdh.virginia.gov<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">August is National Immunization Awareness Month<\/p>\n<p>RICHMOND, Va. \u2013 National Immunization Awareness Month reminds us that staying up to date on vaccines is important at every stage of life. Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourage young adults through age 26 to check their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/immunization\/request-immunization-record\/\">immunization records<\/a> and catch up on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hpv\/vaccines\/index.html\">human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine<\/a> if they did not complete the series when they were younger. HPV vaccination provides safe and effective protection against HPV infections that can cause certain types of cancer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHPV vaccination is effective cancer prevention, and we want young adults to know that they have not missed their chance to protect themselves,\u201d said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts\u2019 Acting Director Melissa Viray, M.D. \u201cWe encourage adults, especially those 26 and younger, to talk with their healthcare provider about catching up if they haven\u2019t completed their HPV vaccine series.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>What is HPV?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hpv\/about\/index.html\">HPV<\/a> is a common virus that spreads through intimate skin-to-skin contact. In about 9 out of 10 cases, HPV goes away on its own within two years without causing symptoms or health problems, but some infections persist and can cause genital warts or lead to cancer. HPV is linked to several types of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hpv\/about\/cancers-caused-by-hpv.html\">cancer<\/a>, including cancers of the cervix, anus, vagina, vulva, penis, and back of the throat (oropharynx).<br \/>\nHPV vaccination can prevent more than 90% of cancers caused by the virus. It also protects against the types of HPV responsible for most genital warts. The HPV vaccine does not treat an existing HPV infection, but it can protect against vaccine-covered strains that a person has not yet encountered.<\/p>\n<h2>Who needs the HPV vaccine?<\/h2>\n<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hpv\/hcp\/vaccination-considerations\/index.html\">HPV vaccination<\/a> starting at ages 11 or 12. Catch-up vaccination is recommended for everyone through age 26 who did not start or finish the HPV vaccine series when they were younger. HPV vaccine recommendation for persons 27\u201345 years of age is based on shared clinical decision-making with a healthcare provider.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/immunization\/datamanagement\/hpv\/\">data<\/a> from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), as of Aug. 11, 2026, 49.9% of 18-year-olds in Richmond City and 74.0% of 18-year-olds in Henrico County have completed the HPV vaccine series. Statewide, 64.2% of 18-year-olds have completed the series.<\/p>\n<p>The HPV vaccine is given as either a two- or three- dose series, depending on age at initial vaccination. Young adults who are not sure if they are up to date on the recommended HPV vaccine series should check their immunization records or talk with their healthcare provider.<\/p>\n<h2>Checking your immunization records<\/h2>\n<p>Virginia residents can securely access, download, and print their available immunization records through VDH\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/immunization\/request-immunization-record\/\">online portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Scheduling a vaccination appointment<\/h2>\n<p>Vaccine appointments can be made with a primary care provider, at a local pharmacy, or at an RHHD clinic. Visit <a href=\"http:\/\/rhhd.gov\/connect-pc\">rhhd.gov\/connect-pc<\/a> to locate primary care providers that accept private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and patients without insurance.<\/p>\n<p>Most insurance plans cover the HPV vaccine at no cost through age 26 when received from an in-network provider. Uninsured or underinsured Virginians may qualify for free vaccines through Virginia Vaccines for Children (VVFC) or Virginia Vaccines for Adults (VVFA). Find a VVFC or VVFA provider near you by visiting <a href=\"http:\/\/vdh.virginia.gov\/immunization\/provider-locator\/\">vdh.virginia.gov\/immunization\/provider-locator\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>RHHD offers vaccination appointments for children, adolescents, and adults at its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/clinical-services\/\">Cary Street<\/a> (804-205-3500), <a href=\"https:\/\/henrico.gov\/locations\/east-health-clinic\/\">Henrico East<\/a> (804-652-3190) and <a href=\"https:\/\/henrico.gov\/locations\/human-services\/\">Henrico West<\/a> (804-501-4001) clinics. Bilingual-in-Spanish staff are available at all locations.<\/p>\n<p>Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/rhhd.gov\/\">rhhd.gov<\/a> for more health and safety information. Follow RHHD on Instagram (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/richmondcity_hd\">@richmondcity_hd<\/a>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RichmondHenricoHealthDistricts\">Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"># # #<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) are sister public health agencies serving our connected communities. Our mission is to protect health, champion equity, and partner to address local needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 13, 2026 Media Contact: Bryan Hooten, 804-807-1727, bryan.hooten@vdh.virginia.gov August is National Immunization Awareness Month RICHMOND, Va. \u2013 National Immunization Awareness Month reminds us that staying up [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":590,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pr"],"modified_by":"bryanhooten","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Encourage Young Adults to Catch Up on HPV Vaccination - 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