Most infants and younger kids get the recommended vaccines as part of well-baby checkups, but less than half of pre-teens and teens actually get the vaccines that are recommended by the CDC for those age groups.
Teens and pre-teens are at increased risk for some diseases that can be quite serious such as meningitis, whooping cough, and human papillomavirus (also known as HPV, the virus that can lead to cervical cancer in women);
- Meningococcal infections are very serious and can result in long-term disability or even death. I actually know a family that was just touched by the death of a young adult, recently married with a 2-month-old baby, due to this type of infection.
- Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is not just a childhood disease — many teens are diagnosed with it each year.
- Certain strains of HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, can cause cervical pre-cancer and cancer. Every year in the U.S., about 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and nearly 4,000 women die from this disease
The CDC recommends three vaccines at age 11 or 12 to protect them from these diseases:
- Meningococcal vaccine, which protects against meningitis and its complications
- Tdap vaccine, which is a booster against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis
- HPV vaccine, which protects girls and women against the types of HPV that most commonly cause cervical cancer
The CDC also recommends that all kids 6 months and older, including teens and pre-teens, get the flu vaccine each year to protect from these complications.
In addition, kids should get a checkup once a year. This checkup is generally covered at 100% under insurance, as it's considered a health maintenance checkup. This allows doctors to recommend routine screening and discuss age-appropriate health issues. For families without insurance, children age 18 and younger may be eligible to get the vaccines for free through the Vaccines for Children program (VFC).
Here are some places you can go for more information:
- Why Do Teens and Pre-Teens Need Vaccinations?
- CDC video about meningitis
- Health-e-Cards to help spread the message about vaccinations
If you have any questions about the CDC’s recommendations for pre-teen immunization, they want to hear from you. Please feel free to email Jill Roark at JRoark@cdc.gov with any questions. Call 800-CDC-INFO or visit CDC.gov/vaccins for more information.
I am writing this post as part of a CDC blogger outreach program. I may receive a small thank you gift from the CDC for my participation in raising awareness about pre-teen immunizations.
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