If your pre-teen or teen hasn’t received back-to-school shots since entering kindergarten, it’s important to set appointments to get their vaccinations updated.
Schools don’t require adolescents to comply with a list of national vaccine recommendations like they do kindergarteners. However, older kids need a few new immunizations starting at age 11, including a shot to guard against whooping cough. This year, it is recommended that 16-year-olds get a booster shot for meningitis.
Due to recent outbreaks of whooping cough, a growing number of states are requiring updated shots as students enter middle school and beyond. A new California law requires 3 million students to show proof that they are protected. Last year was especially bad for whooping cough, with more than 21,000 cases in the country and 26 deaths. California alone had more than 9,200 cases.
Federal recommendations for preteens and teens include:
· A Tdap shot for children ages 11 and 12. It protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis or whooping cough.
· A first dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine for children ages 11 and 12, with a booster dose at 16.
· For girls ages 11 and 12, the HPV vaccine for strains of human papillomavirus that can cause cervical cancer. Three doses are needed early enough to be fully vaccinated and well before the girl becomes sexually active. In 2009, only 27% of girls ages 13 to 17 had received all three doses.
