Immunizations for Teenagers
By: Gregory Germain, MD
You might think the inoculation part of your teen’s life is over and done. Think again. There are some vaccination recommendations for the teen or teen years, and now is also the time to play catch up if your child has missed any immunizations along the way. (See full immunization schedules at www.cispimmunize.org.)
Vaccines for Teens
- All teens, especially those with risk factors like asthma, should be considered for a yearly flu shot.
- The human papillomavirus vaccine (often called the cervical cancer vaccine) is recommended for girls nine to 26 years old. (Because this recommendation is new, most teen girls out there will not have gotten this immunization yet.) There are three doses: the second given two months after the first and the third dose 6 months after the first. This vaccination reduces your daughter’s risk of cervical cancer by 70% and reduces her risk of genital warts by 90%.
- The meningococcal vaccine for bacterial meningitis, should be given to boys and girls at about 11-12 years old.
RELATED FEATURES:
Vaccines: A Glance Behind and a Look Ahead
Immunizations for Grade-schoolers
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