It’s easy to think about immunizations as being most important to the very young and very old. Yet starting at around age 7, children and adolescents need a number of important vaccines to protect themselves and others around them.
Rebekah Fenton, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP,
American Academy of Pediatrics
The vaccines that are recommended for children and adolescents help prevent major health problems — including infertility, muscle paralysis, brain damage, blindness, deafness, and cancer.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other medical groups all agree on the schedule of recommended immunizations. They recommend these vaccines at specific ages. Why? There are two main reasons: (1) It is the age when the vaccine works the best with your child or teen’s immune system, and (2) It is the time when your child or teen needs the protection the most.
It is important for adolescents to see their pediatrician and make sure they are fully protected by getting vaccines to protect against meningococcal disease, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza, and COVID.
Infectious diseases
At age 11 or 12, your teen should get their first dose of meningococcal vaccine. Meningococcal vaccines protect adolescents and young adults from a disease that is life-threatening if not caught and treated early — within a few hours. The disease is caused by bacteria that can infect the bloodstream, brain, and spinal cord. While anyone can get meningococcal disease, it is most common in babies and people ages 16 to 20 years. Infections are spread in saliva through close contact, like coughing or kissing, as well as lengthy contact, such as in crowded spaces like college dorms, military barracks, and childcare centers.
Also around age 11 or 12, teens receive the Tdap vaccine, a booster to protect against three diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). It’s a slightly different version of a vaccine your child received as a baby (DTaP). They will need a booster dose of the vaccine every 10 years as an adult as well.
The HPV vaccine prevents six types of cancer. Vaccinating kids against HPV when they are ages 9-12 years will allow them to build strong immunity against the virus before they are exposed to it. If they don’t get the first dose until age 15, they need three doses.
HPV causes cervical cancer, penile and anal cancers, cancers of the mouth and throat, and genital warts. The HPV vaccine works really well to protect against strains of the virus that cause more than 90% of these cancers.
Seasonal illnesses
The AAP and the CDC recommend the flu shot for everyone age 6 months and older, including teens, every year. The flu is unpredictable. There is no way to know if your teen will have mild flu illness and miss just a few days of school or if they will get seriously ill and need hospital care. The flu shot is very effective at preventing severe influenza disease that leads to hospitalization.
Millions of people around the world, including teenagers and younger children, have received the COVID-19 vaccine. We know the COVID vaccine is safe and effective. Vaccination is the best way to protect teens from long-term problems if they get sick with COVID.
Now is the time to catch up on other recommended immunizations that your teen may have missed. Heading off to college? Some colleges and universities require students to be vaccinated. Check these requirements now, so your teen can be caught up before they go.
These recommended vaccines are the best way to protect older children and teens as well as keep others safe, too. Many of them can literally save your teen’s life. Sure, getting a shot may pinch for a moment, but the protection from serious disease lasts a very long time.
