Understanding Vaccines for Teens and Tweens

Although most shots are given to children when they are very young, there are some vaccines that are appropriate or necessary for older children. In some cases, they are booster shots, which are given to continue the protection provided by earlier vaccines. In other cases, they are new shots, intended for teens or young adults.

Here is what you need to know about the vaccines for older children.

Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis

Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine
Brand name: Adacel, Boostrix
Also known as: Tdap
In 2005, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend the routine use of Tdap vaccines in adolescents aged 11 to 18. It replaced the previous Td (tetanus and diphtheria) booster, which 11- or 12-year-olds would normally have received. The three bacteria-related diseases that Tdap protects against (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) can cause lockjaw, breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, coughing spells, vomiting, and, in severe cases, death.

Meningitis

Meningococcal conjugate vaccine
Brand name: Menactra
Also known as: MCV4
This vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005, and it provides protection for four of the five strains of meningococcal diseases. According to the National Meningitis Association, Menactra has been proven to protect against up to 83 percent of meningococcal cases among adolescents. The CDC recommends that Menactra be administered to adolescents between the ages of 11 and 12; for those who have missed the shots, they can be vaccinated up to age 18.

HPV

Human papillomavirus vaccine Brand name: Gardasil
Also known as: HPV vaccine
According to the CDC, 50 percent of sexually active Americans will acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. Because of its prevalence and strong correlation with cervical cancer in females, Gardasil is becoming an increasingly popular vaccine. Gardasil is administered in a series of three shots, the first of which is recommended to be given to girls between 11 and 12 years old. In four multinational tests, Gardasil was nearly 100 percent effective in preventing precancerous cervical lesions and genital warts caused by HPV infection types for which the vaccine is intended.

Chickenpox

Chickenpox booster
Brand name: Varivax
Also known as: Varicella
Many adults may remember chickenpox was a common childhood ailment that, even in mild cases, left children miserable for a week or more. For serious cases, this infection resulted in as many as 15,000 hospitalizations and 150 deaths every year. In 1995, a vaccine was developed to prevent chickenpox. The ACIP recommends that children four to six years old receive the booster as well as children in their teens if they have never had chickenpox.