It’s time to find out which immunizations your child needs when they reach the adolescent and teen years. For the most recent advice, consult your physician. Your child will be protected from a number of deadly diseases that can be avoided if they receive their vaccinations on time.
The Tdap vaccine
Children who receive Tdap are protected against whooping cough, diphtheria, and tetanus. If children have already received the DTP/DTaP immunization series and have never received a Td booster, doctors typically provide this vaccine to them between the ages of 11 and 12.
If they received the DTP/DTaP vaccination series as children, teens aged 13 to 18 who could have missed the 11–12 year Td/Tdap booster should additionally receive a single dose of Tdap.
The HPV vaccine
The acronym for human papillomavirus is HPV. Cervical cancer is associated with specific HPV strains. Between the ages of 11 and 12, the CDC advises both boys and girls to receive their first dose of the HPV vaccine. The second dose should be given to children at least six months after the first. For people aged 15 and up or with compromised immune systems, three vaccinations are advised.
Any youngster between the ages of 13 and 18 who was not vaccinated earlier should receive the HPV vaccine series. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 26 should also think about getting vaccinated. At least 75% of female cervical malignancies are prevented by the immunization, and possibly even more. HPV infections can cause head and neck malignancies, including throat cancer, which the vaccine can help prevent in addition to the link to cervical cancer.
Meningococcal Vaccine
Certain forms of meningitis are prevented by this vaccination. Your child’s first vaccination should occur between the ages of 11 and 12. At age 16, they will require a booster.
If your teen is a first-year college student living in a dorm and has never received the vaccination, they should also get it. Children under the age of eleven who are at a higher risk of contracting meningitis are advised to get the vaccine.
With the exception of serotype B, the immunization protects against the most common forms of the meningitis bacteria. Another meningitis vaccination that protects against serotype B was just licensed. For those over ten who are at high risk, the CDC advises doing this.
Flu (Influenza) Vaccine
Every year, everyone six months of age and up should have a flu shot. Every year, the flu virus evolves, and vaccine manufacturers modify their products to guard against the most recent strain.
Vaccine against Hepatitis A (HepA)
The hepatitis A vaccine is administered by doctors in two doses separated by at least six months. The vaccination is advised by the CDC for children aged 12 to 23 months as well as for some older child populations that have never had it. Although hepatitis A rarely poses a threat to a child’s life, children can infect elderly or sick relatives with the virus, which can lead to much more serious complications.
Vaccine against Hepatitis B (HepB)
Teens who abuse drugs or engage in sexual activity run the risk of contracting hepatitis B. Children between the ages of 11 and 15 can receive the vaccine in two or three doses.
Why is this immunization necessary for your child? This virus can cause chronic liver damage or could be fatal.
Vaccine against inactivated poliovirus (IPV)
Children should receive four doses of the polio vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: the first at two months, the second at four months, the third between six and eighteen months, and the fourth between four and six months.
Although polio was believed to be extinct in the West, in 2022 a guy in New York State was found to have paralytic polio (he was reportedly not vaccinated). Wastewater has also been found to contain the virus. Traveling abroad to some regions of the world increases the risk of contracting the illness.
Vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
Your youngster should receive this vaccination if they haven’t already. Any age can have two doses of MMR, separated by at least four weeks.
Vaccine against varicella (chickenpox)
Children under 13 who have never had chickenpox or who did not have the vaccine previously should receive two doses of the varicella vaccine at least three months apart. The two doses should be spaced at least four weeks apart if your youngster is older than thirteen.