Which vaccine is routinely recommended for many young adults up to age 26?

• A. Hepatitis B vaccine
• B. Influenza vaccine
• C. HPV vaccine
• D. Meningococcal vaccine

Answer: (C)

Age-based vaccine timing is being tested here. The HPV vaccine is routinely recommended for individuals up to age 26 because exposure to HPV can lead to cancers, and the vaccine offers the best protection when given before exposure. Although many people receive it in early adolescence, a catch-up window through 26 is advised for many young adults, making it the standard vaccine for that age range.

Other vaccines follow different schedules. Hepatitis B is typically started in infancy, with a long-standing series completed early in life. The influenza vaccine is recommended annually for people of nearly all ages, not limited to a specific upper age. Meningococcal vaccine is commonly given in adolescence and for certain groups like college entrants, but it isn’t universally recommended for all young adults up to 26 in the same routine way as HPV.