Information on Vaccinations

The vaccinations recommended for children ages 4 to 6 years include the final doses of four vaccines started earlier in life:

• The childhood diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine (also known as DTaP)
• The inactivated poliovirus vaccine (or IPV)
• The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR)
• The varicella vaccine (which can help protect against chicken pox)

But did you know that protection against some diseases wears off as children enter the preteen and teen years?

One vaccination that wears off is DTaP, given during infancy and early childhood to help protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). Health experts recommend that adolescents 11 to 18 years of age who completed the childhood diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccination series receive the Tdap booster shot for continued protection against these diseases. The preferred age for the Tdap shot is 11 to 12 years. The booster shot "boosts" the protection of the vaccinations the adolescents received when they were younger.

Whooping cough is a serious disease that spreads easily. Outbreaks often start in middle and high schools where students are in close contact with one another. One study showed that preteens and teens with whooping cough miss an average of more than one week of school due to the disease. In addition, preteens and teens are often the source of infection for infants who have not yet received all their shots for whooping cough. In rare cases, infants can die from the disease.

To help prevent your child from catching whooping cough and other vaccine-preventable diseases, make sure your child gets the recommended shots for his or her age group. In addition to getting scheduled shots, your child may need to catch up on missed shots or shots that were not available when he or she was younger. Your child's health-care provider or school nurse can provide information on the vaccinations your child may need, as well as on the diseases the vaccinations protect against.

The CDC recommends that all children aged 6 months to 19 years receive an influenza vaccination.  Every year over 38 million school days are missed due to influenza and its complications. 

Recommended Vaccinations for Adolescents
Below are descriptions of several important vaccinations health experts recommend for adolescents:

• The tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) shot, Tdap, is a single booster shot that helps protect against all three of the diseases mentioned. Experts recommend that adolescents 11 to 18 years old get this shot, with the preferred age being 11 to 12 years. Adolescents who have previously received the Td booster (for tetanus and diphtheria) but not the Tdap should typically wait five years and then get the Tdap booster.
• The human papillomavirus shot, HPV, is given to girls to help protect them against certain types of the human papillomavirus, which can cause cervical cancer. Experts recommend that girls receive the first shot of the three-shot series at age 11 or 12 years, the second shot two months after the first, and the third shot six months after the first.
• The meningococcal shot MCV4 helps protect against meningococcal disease. Experts recommend that adolescents get this single shot at age 11 or 12 years, or when they enter high school (at around age 15) if they did not get the shot before. This shot should also be given to college freshmen living in dormitories if they have not received the vaccine previously.

The vaccinations and schedules discussed in this section are recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/vaccines).

What You Can Do

• Always talk to your child’s health-care provider before making any decisions about whether or not your child should receive a certain vaccination. Discuss the risks and benefits of having or not having the vaccination.
• Take your child to the doctor for a checkup.
• Make sure your child is up-to-date on the recommended shots for his or her age group.
• Keep a record of the shots your child gets and the dates he or she gets them.

More Information on Vaccines and Flu

• CDC information on the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine
• American Academy of Pediatrics information on vaccine safety (PDF file)
• American Academy of Pediatrics FAQ on H1N1 Flu