Keeping Teens Healthy - Immunizations for Teens
Source: Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
Topics: Teen Years (13-19), Childhood Immunizations, Teen Health Issues, more...
Topics: Teen Years (13-19), Childhood Immunizations, Teen Health Issues, more...
What’s it all about?
Teens need immunizations. Many people don’t know that immunizations are just as important for teens as they are for babies and young children. Immunizations keep teens and their friends and family healthy by:
- Increasing their bodies’ ability to fight diseases.
- Preventing the spread of disease to close contacts, like family members, who may not be fully protected.
What can I do?
As parents and adults who care about teens:
- Make sure teens get regular health checkups that include immunizations. The American Academies of Pediatrics and Family Physicians recommend a health checkup for all youth 11–12 years. This visit is a good time to make sure immunizations are up-to-date or to get any that are needed.
- Ask about immunizations any time teens see their doctor or nurse, like during sports physicals and other checkups.
- Get teens any missed immunizations before they graduate from high school.
- Make sure teens have a complete record of all immunizations. They may need it to show proof of immunization for college, travel, employment, or the military.
Which immunizations do teens need?
| Adolescent Immunizations (Recommended for most teens) |
How many? | Notes |
| Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) and Tetanus – diphtheria (Td) | 1 dose | Tdap should replace one Td booster for all teens 11 and older. Teens who had a Td booster need to wait at least two years before they get Tdap. |
| Human Papillomavirus (HPV) | 3 doses | For females 11–12 years and up to 26 who have not been vaccinated. |
| Meningococcal (MCV4) | 1 dose | For teens 11–12 years, teens starting high school, young adults in college who live in a dorm, and teens with certain medical conditions. |
Catch-Up Immunizations (Recommended for teens who didn’t get these childhood vaccines)
| Hepatitis A | 2 doses | |
| Hepatitis B | 3 doses | |
| Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) | 2 doses | |
| Polio | 3 doses | Only for teens young than 18 years. |
| Varicella (Chickenpox) | 2 doses | Teens who had chickenpox don't need to be vaccinated, but record date of disease in their immunization record. |
Immunizations for At-Risk Teens
| Influenza (flu) | 1 dose/year | For teens with chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes, teens with weakened immune systems, teens who are pregnant, and teens who are family members or caregivers of high-risk people. |
| Pneumoccocal (PPV) | 1 or 2 doses | For teens with chronic conditions or weakened immune systems. |
Hepatitis B virus spreads through contact with blood and other body fluids. It can cause long-term liver infection leading to lifethreatening liver disease and liver cancer. Measles virus spreads very easily when a sick person coughs or sneezes. It causes a high fever, cold-like symptoms, and a rash. It can lead to pneumonia, hearing loss, brain damage, and even death.
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Reprinted with the permission of the Department of Social and Health Services.
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