Adolescent Health

Facts about Immunizations for Adolescents

Should all adolescents be immunized?
Yes. All adolescents require measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria immunizations. All adolescents with diabetes and chronic heart, lung (including asthma), liver, or kidney disorders need protection against influenza and pneumococcal disease, and should consult their health care providers regarding their need for these shots. Chickenpox vaccine is recommended for those not previously vaccinated and who have no reliable history of the disease. Hepatitis B vaccine is indicated for all adolescents aged 8-18 who has not been vaccinated previously. Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for adolescents traveling/working in countries where the disease is common, and those living in communities with outbreaks of the disease. It is also recommended for adolescents who have chronic liver disease or clotting-factor disorders, who use illegal drugs, or are male and have sex with other males.

How often do I need to be immunized?

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B vaccine is administered in 3 doses. Adolescents not previously vaccinated with 2 doses of MMR vaccine at age 12 months or older require a second dose.

Td vaccine
Shots for tetanus and diphtheria (Td vaccine) should be supplemented with a booster shot at ages 11-12 and every 10 years thereafter.

Chickenpox Vaccine
One dose of chickenpox vaccine is recommended for adolescents ages 11-12 and 2 doses for those age 13 and older, if there is no proof of chickenpox.

Flu Shot
The flu shot should be administered yearly to adolescents who have any medical condition that places them at high risk for complications associated with the disease. Immunization for pneumococcal disease is administered once to adolescents with certain chronic diseases that are at increased risk for this disease or its complications. Hepatitis A vaccine is administered in 2 doses 6 to 18 months apart.

Are there side effects to these shots?
Vaccines are among the safest medicines available. Some common side effects are a sore arm or low fever. As with any medicine, there are very small risks that serious problems could occur after getting immunized. However, the risks from the diseases are much greater than the risks from the vaccines.

Should I carry a personal immunization record?
Yes! This record will help you and your health care provider ensure you are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. Ask your provider for this document. Be sure to take it with you every time you visit your provider so it can be updated each time you are immunized.

FACTS ABOUT ADOLESCENT IMMUNIZATIONS

• Approximately 340,000 children and adolescents ages 2-18 have chronic illnesses placing them at increased risk for pneumococcal disease or its complications.
• In the United States, approximately 20% of adolescents ages 11-12 have not had chickenpox. Adolescents are 10 times more likely than children to develop severe complications when infected with this disease.
• Diphtheria, although no longer a very common disease in the United States, is fatal in 1 out of every 10 cases.
• Vaccines are among the safest medicines available.
• Forty to 50 cases of tetanus still occur each year, resulting in at least 5 deaths annually in the United States.
• Over 70% of the 100,000-140,000 new cases of hepatitis B each year strike adolescents and young adults. The hepatitis B virus is 100 times more infectious than HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
• Of the 575 measles patients in 1996 for whom age was known, one-third were ages 10-19.
• About one-third of people infected with the mumps virus do not have any symptoms.
• The highest rates of hepatitis A occur among children and adolescents ages 5-14 and most cases can be attributed to person-to-person transmission.
• More than 8 million children and adolescents, ages 2-18 in the U.S. have at least one medical condition placing them at high risk for complications due to the flu.

These facts about adolescent immunizations are courtesy of the
National Coalition of Adult Immunization

to reach their organization, please click here for more information.