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If you have a teenager, you may think he or she doesn’t need other vaccines. But that may not be the case. Keeping your vaccines up-to-date is a lifelong job. It’s also a key to staying healthy.
All teenagers should already have been vaccinated against:
Experts now say teens should be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV).
However, many teens may have missed some of their shots. They may have missed the hepatitis B vaccine if they were born before 1991. They may have been born in another country that does not require some of these vaccines. Or they may have missed some appointments for their shots.
Even if they had all their childhood vaccinations, they may be ready for booster shots
. Protection from some vaccines does not last forever. With some, the protection you get wears off over time. That’s why everyone, even as adults, needs a tetanus and diphtheria (Td) booster that is approved for adult use every 10 years. Children should get a whooping cough booster shot (Tdap) at ages 11 to 12. Teens (ages 13 to 18) who missed their Tdap booster at ages 11 to 12 should get one Tdap shot. Fully vaccinated adults (ages 19 to 64) who haven’t had a Tdap booster should get one Tdap booster that is approved for use in adults instead of one Td booster.
Some teens are also at high risk for other diseases. They may need other vaccines:
- All children should get three shots of the hepatitis B vaccine. Teenagers are at risk, too. If your teen hasn’t already had it, then make sure he or she gets this vaccine.
Hepatitis B can be spread through contact with an infected person’s blood or unprotected sex. You can get it by sharing a toothbrush or needles. You can also get it from unsterilized medical equipment that’s used for tattoos or body piercings.
- Teens who travel abroad may need more vaccines. This includes the hepatitis A vaccine. Hepatitis A can spread through contaminated food, unprotected sex, or illegal drug use.
- Teens going to college should think about the vaccine for meningitis. This is a disease of the brain and spinal cord. It can spread in places where people live close together. Dorms are one such place.
- If a teen is traveling to a foreign country, then he or she may need more vaccines. Diseases, like yellow fever and typhoid fever, are common in some parts of the world. It’s a good idea to check on what vaccines you need for that destination.
- Teens with a health condition may need other vaccines to stay healthy. These can include vaccines for the flu, hepatitis A, and pneumococcal disease.
- Teens who are pregnant, or who may become pregnant in the next month, should not get certain vaccines. You or your teen should talk with her doctor.
- In 2006, it was recommended that female teens, starting at age 11, should get three shots of the HPV vaccine.
If your teen is no longer comfortable going with you to get shots, then see if he or she will go alone or with a friend. It’s important to make sure your teen knows getting vaccinated is part of being a responsible adult. After all, getting vaccinated doesn’t just help your teen. It protects friends and family, too.
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